So much more than Pureblooded
by MorningSnow03
Summary: For five years, Draco has wrestled with how to make Hermione love him. Now, with his parents demanding he simply marry her without giving her a choice, Headmistress McGonagall advising he talk to her and allow her to make her own choice, and Draco torn by indecision, the Veela might just have the solution after all.
1. Hello

While the students were saying goodbye to their parents in London, the professors were having their annual beginning of term meeting in the rolling hills surrounding Hogwarts. This year, the biggest news was four new professors were taking over for their aging counterparts.

Hermione Granger would be taking over History of Magic, despite Professor Binns' objection that he was nowhere near retirement age, yet… even though he was a ghost.

Harry Potter would be taking over the coveted Defense against the Dark Arts position from the latest Professor who had decided to retire.

Draco Malfoy would be taking over the Potions position from the cranky old witch who had been pleased to take over for Professor Slughorn, but had found she quite hated children in the years since.

Finally, Pavarti Patil would be taking over for the ever absent-minded Professor Trelawny, who had decided that her fate lay in another country.

Neville Longbottom was to be returning as well, but he would arrive with the students, as he was merely to finish his apprenticeship with Professor Sprout. They wrapped up the meeting with plans to make the meetings biweekly.

It was strange, thought Headmistress McGonagall. It was strange that these four would be the ones to come back.

The headmistress watched as Miss Granger and Mr. Potter walked together to their classrooms, and noted with a frown that Mr. Malfoy watched the pair as well. He wore an indescribable emotion on his face and McGonagall made a quick decision to call him over to her.

"Yes, Headmistress?" Draco asked as he arrived next to her.

She looked up at him from her wheelchair and asked him, "How have you been getting on so far? Are your potion stores stocked to your satisfaction?"

"Yes, madam. Professor Sprout and I have an arrangement for some of the more expensive items to be grown in connection with her Seventh Year students. Hagrid has also been working with some of the animals to volunteer some other ingredients later in the fall when they begin to molt."

"That is very good. And are your accommodations appropriate for you? I am quite sorry I did not get a chance to greet you when you arrived yesterday."

He smiled softly, "It's quite alright, it's just that the transformation must happen every year, else wise I'm apt to lose my mind over not having her yet. This year, it took... too long." He looked away from her for a moment, at the door as he seemed to re energize himself. "I feel she may be close though. Perhaps I'll be able to speak to her soon."

* * *

At 17, Draco had found out he was a descendant of the Veela. In the years since, he had discovered as well that his mate was the one and only Hermione Granger. He had been slowly ticking away at her hatred of him by following her from Hogwarts, to university, and finally here to Hogwarts again. At first, she ignored him outright.

That lasted a full year.

Then she had come up to him one night, blind drunk at some party, and demanded to know why he was such an arse. He doubted that she remembered he had answered with an embarrassing blurt which contained his love for her and an awkward apology for mistreating her in the past. In that order. Maybe it was just that he really hoped she didn't remember that incident.

The next year had her in a few classes with him.

During midterms, he had found himself across a study desk from her one windy October night, when he looked up from his notes to find her suddenly sitting before him, her own notes spread out and yet she still said nothing to him.

This pattern continued for a week leading up to midterms. His stress levels had decreased immediately from just having her near and he had made- for the first time in their whole school career- higher marks than her in something.

Some person had asked him if he got an award for something like that, but Draco had been more concerned about if she was upset.

The first time he saw her after their grades were posted, she had looked at him. Looked right at him. It wasn't disgust in her gaze, it was... appraisal. She had seemed to re evaluate him for the first time ever.

They had studied together for every major exam after that. Again, they were outright academic rivals.

Their instructors noticed.

Their peers noticed.

They still hadn't spoken to one another until the finals in Spring. She had simply looked up at him and asked, "How long is the average wingspan of a newborn phoenix?"

He had been so startled he had reflexively answered. She smiled at him and told him thanks.

The next year had seen her relationship with the Weasel blow up in the middle of the courtyard near her dorm. Draco would have not known had it not been for everyone in the entire school, every Wizarding publication, and even the instructors talking about it.

Weasley had cheated on her.

The idiot had announced to the whole school that Hermione Granger was apparently had no interest in sex. He even went so far as to call her an asexual virgin in an interview for the Daily Prophet.

Draco was studying in the library after this article came out and Hermione had sat down across from him with a similar tome to his own. Even though her face was blotchy and her eyes red rimmed from crying, she studied. He longed to enfold her in his arms and comfort her through her pain. He could not. He knew she didn't want that from him... yet.

He set his book down and slid his hand across the desk. He pushed her book down and took her hand in his. She looked up at him, both frightened and grateful. He told her, "He never deserved you, and I think you know it. He doesn't deserve your tears, Hermione." He squeezed her hand and picked his book back up, ignoring the bliss his tongue felt at speaking her name aloud. Ignoring the feeling of confused happiness coming across the table in waves.

The rest of the year had been wonderful. She chose to stay studying with him every day. They still rarely said anything. He knew she was comforted by his presence as much as he was by hers. Every day he told himself he needed to talk to her about _something_. Anything. But he found himself to be unwilling to give up the companionable silence.

Since he had found out about his heritage, he had been taking a special potion to keep the Veela part of himself lying dormant. He could be in her presence without affecting her or himself other than a mild pleasant feeling they both had in each others company.

He felt that he needed to resist the call of the Veela for a little while longer. She was only just beginning to trust him. She only sort of liked him.

If he told her everything and she rejected him, it was his life which would end. That alone kept him from actively manipulating her. She needed to come of her own volition and if he manipulated his way into her heart and she found out, she would- without question- reject him.

She had finished her degree before him, simply because it was a shorter program in which she had been enrolled. She traveled and he miserably finished his degree.

He had the Veela remain dormant, of course, but that didn't mean he wasn't also affected by her absence. He simply missed her as a regular staple in his life. He had either forgotten what it was like for her to be so far away, or it was worse because she was there so much and now was gone.

He had finally graduated and immediately applied for Hogwarts. He knew she would go there, even if they had never spoken of it. In his meeting with McGonagall to accept his position, he informed the headmistress of his ancestry.

He knew he would have a whole month in her company before the school year started. This caused him to spend much of the first month out of college daydreaming about how he would seduce her and them mark her and they would be able to meet between classes and snog and he would mark her again and then they could read in bed, snuggled around each other. He had finally decided to act.

Then his birthday came and his transformation took a whole month of his humanity. He was locked in the dungeons for the transformation, as always. The elves fed him, like always. And when he came back to himself, he discovered it was already the end of July. He had needed another month to recover from the damage he had done to himself when his Veela side had found they could not escape the bonds to mate.

Now, he was in the castle with her and he was content again. Having her nearby was a soothing balm to his withering soul. He would even be able to eat in the same room with her! Mere meters from her! His Veela purred in contentment within him.

* * *

Draco frowned. "I worry that the potion may not work as well in these last few years," He said to McGonagall after a few minutes of reminiscing.

"Last few? I was under the impression that you had decided to act this year," The headmistress answered.

"I have, but it is a slow process. Shall we?" He asked gesturing before him to show her he wanted her to go before him.

"Yes. Would a walk outdoors be alright?"

"Yes. That sounds quite pleasant. Would you like me to...?" Dravo asked, uncertain if it would be offensive to her for him to push her chair.

"Thank you, but there is a spell. Locomotium," She said, with a flick of her wand.

They went to the outdoor gardens, east of the stadium and spoke about the upcoming year and many other things before they came back to his heritage.

"Might I suggest to you a way to make her comfortable in your presence?" McGonagall asked.

"Certainly." He answered, feeling excited to be speaking of his mate again.

"She often reads near the piano room on the third floor. Do you remember that one?"

Draco smiled fondly. "Of course. I often played that piano as a boy."

"She has _always_ read near there," The headmistress reiterated.

He stared at her for a moment, astonished. "Really?"

"Indeed." She said, smiling thinly herself. "Perhaps there is less adversity between you two than you believe."

"Maybe there is," Draco said, distracted.

At the beginning of term feast, Draco felt Hermione's eyes on him several times. He ate quietly and spoke hesitantly to Patil as she nervously prattled on about being too young for the job and other such nonsense. Draco paid her little mind other than to nod and 'mmhmm' in the right places.

He glanced at Hermione once and noted her blush before he saw that she had been caught staring at him and she was awkwardly waving at him with a nervous smile. He smiled back, more confidently than he felt. He gave her a little nod and she turned away to say something to Harry Potter.

When she turned, he followed the smooth line of her neck to her shoulder and absently began to think about kissing down that delicate tendon to her collarbone and how she would sigh contentedly into his shoulder. He wanted to pick her up and deposit her into his lap...

"Mmm, what's that smell?" Pavarti asked, her voice sounding... husky.

Draco cleared his throat, realizing he had unintentionally begun to become aroused. "Oh, I don't smell anything. Could it perhaps be a vision coming on?" He asked, trying to distract her.

"Oh, good point. I ought to do my meditation..." her head fell forward and she stayed silent long enough for Draco to calm himself down. Several other women within a few feet of him also began to look around as though trying to discover the origin of some smell. He called for a cup of coffee and the aroma of the coffee overwhelmed the pheromones he had released by accident.

The last announcements were made and the students dismissed to their houses shortly afterward.

Draco bade his fellow teachers a good night and escaped to his room. He decided to bury himself in a book to distract himself from seeking her out. He was so desperate to escape thoughts of her, he read until almost midnight before realizing the time. He bathed, dressed himself in his usual silk pajama bottoms, and lay down in bed to try to sleep.

Draco tentatively relaxed in his covers, worrying over the closeness of his mate and how that would affect him. Soon he began to drift off to sleep, despite his worrying. He was jerked to full wakefulness an hour later.

Oh, gods. He could feel Hermione's arousal, even this far away. He knew she was touching herself through their tentative bond, even all the way across the castle. He felt himself salivating at the thought of her scent.

There was a jolt through him as he unconsciously focused on her emotions, something he had been refusing to do. He bit his lip to stifle a groan as the feelings flowed through him. Draco picked up his wand and cast a silencing charm and then a privacy shield on his bed hangings, even though he had the whole set of rooms to himself. Only then did he give in totally to the arousal pumping through his veins. Was it his or hers? Did it matter?

He gasped at the feeling, regardless. His mate was very passionate, he could tell. He just knew that she would be dripping for him, and when that thought hit him, he was suddenly so hard that even the feeling of his silk pajamas was agonizing. He let out a shuddering breath and then pulled the offending pajamas off. When he looked down, he was unsurprised by how swollen and red his erection was. He touched the tip shyly with his finger, trying to imagine it was her spreading his precum around gently.

When he closed his eyes, the image came to him clearly and suddenly, his hips bucked and he heard himself growl.

That bushy hair didn't look so unappealing, now. He longed to bury his fingers in those wild locks and pull her up for a kiss before he urged her soft lips over his swollen head.

He groaned again, gripping the shaft as the images and longings swirled in his head. He ached to fly across the castle and mark her so they could mate properly, but it was too early by far. He felt his fangs had descended, despite his negation if that plan.

A sudden thought came to him which was so appealing he had no choice but to act on it immediately.

He reached out through their bond, sharing his own fantasies with her. He imagined for her the feeling of his hands on her soft body, stroking along her lean form. His lips on her throat, his warmth enfolding her nude form. She would be tied to the bed, blindfolded, and Draco was surprised to find that this image was not from him. He could barely contain himself at his mate's fantasy. He pinched her nipple in his mind, first softly and then quite hard, curious of her reaction. In his mind, he heard her strangled moan of pleasure and saw her fingers pressed deep into her slit.

He took over again, helping her to imagine him taking her roughly with his mouth, nipping gently at her clit with his teeth. Her own whirlwind of pleasure skyrocketed suddenly, and he knew she was close to orgasm. Her hips rocked against the bed, wishing he were there, even if she didn't know who he was yet.

He stroked himself faster, her coming orgasm bringing his own quickly. He brought the completion suddenly as he imagined for her that just as she was about to cum, he would thrust himself into her waiting opening. He could practically feel her milking his hard cock as she came all around him. He heard her scream in ecstasy through the bond and finally felt his orgasm rip through him.

He could still hear her whimpering in pleasure through the bond as she brought herself to completion once more. His Veela was still incredibly aroused at the knowledge of their shared orgasms. The Veela was battling for dominance, trying to break free of Draco's hold on it, trying to convince Draco to run to Hermione and take her for his own.

Draco refused it.

The Veela strengthened the bond and showed that Hermione was thinking about him- _him, Draco Malfoy_ \- and smiling softly in her bed.

Draco's heart gave a sad lurch that he wasn't there. But he knew a manipulation when he saw one. He sent soothing emotions through their bond, determined that he would speak to her tomorrow and she would eventually decide she wanted to be with him, rather than be coerced into loving him. The Veela seemed to understand, and grumpily resigned to the human's decision.

For now.

A/N: Well, here we are again. I have no idea where this little bunny is going, but I suppose we will find out together.


	2. Do you come here often?

The mist clinging to the rolling hills surrounding the school made the pre-dawn hour look like a romantic painting to Draco as he jogged around the lake. Some of the birds nearby were waking up and tentatively beginning their songs. He took a deep breath of the fresh and very cool air and picked up his pace. He was warmed up sufficiently to outright run, but he had decided when he set out he would only jog enough to get some of his restless energy out.

Living in the same castle as his mate was becoming a problem and it had only been one night. He had slept fitfully after finding out how much stronger their bond was while they were in closer proximity.

Rounding the lake for what he decided would be his last lap, he suddenly caught the scent of the very woman of whom he had been thinking. He slowed his pace to a walk, suddenly unsure of how to find his feet.

She was jogging in the opposite direction with headphones in and not looking up. Draco made a split second decision to jog back the way he had come for the final lap. If she wanted to talk, she could call out to him, and if she wanted to ignore him, she could do that too. His Veela noted that even if she ignored him, she would still have to stare at his muscular form.

Hermione was deeply focused on her audio book, as she usually was while jogging. She had found her stride and was only really thinking about the biography she was listening to. Her muscles were happily moving alongside one another as she rounded the Black Lake.

The narrator paused to say the next chapter number. Hermione looked up to decide which direction she would go when she reached the fork in the path up ahead and was startled to see Draco Malfoy was jogging just a bit in front of her. A simple hello seemed appropriate, but she was unsure if she ought to catch up to him first or maybe just call out.

Her narrator startled her by saying "Chapter 25" suddenly and she pushed the button on her headphones to pause the playback. She pulled her headphones out of her ears and said, "Good Morning!" In a voice she hoped was both loud enough and not as awkward as she suddenly felt immediately after speaking. Before he even began to turn, she regretted having spoken. He was polite to her, but what more could she say? And was it a breech of their silent camaraderie to greet him so familiarly?

He seemed to like things quiet and ordered which is why she always studied with him in college, but it really wasn't like they were friends. They had barely spoken in their entire college experience, and he had even caught her staring yesterday and-

"Good morning, Granger," He said, slowing his gait slightly. He was wearing a long sleeved and skin tight shirt with loose pants of a shiny black material, Hermione noticed as she sped up a bit to catch up. Muggle workout clothing. Come to think about it, Hermione didn't know if wizards and witches worked out like muggles did.

"Have you been out long this morning?" She asked when she was next to him, trying to shove the memory of a sexual dream she had woken from in the middle of the night- with the man in front of her in the starring role- from her thoughts.

He smiled slightly, "About twenty minutes or so. I had planned on making one more lap and then heading in. What about you?" he answered. His cheeks were a little red from the exercise and probably from the chill.

"This is my second lap. I lost track of time," she said with a smile. "I was listening to a book."

"You can't be satisfied with reading them all yourself? You need to have others read them to you?" he asked, ignoring the roaring excitement of his Veela at having her near him, _conversing_ with him. He was also trying very hard to ignore how tight her workout clothing was as well as the light smell of her sweat. She didn't smell bad, by any means, but the smell of her was just stronger and it made him a little dizzy with longing.

She laughed, "Muggles make recordings of books for sale so people can listen while they're doing other things like cooking or driving or, as in my case, running."

"I see. And then you listen to them with those headfangs you can plug into your…" He looked at her briefly to gesture to her ear gadgets and interrupted himself, "Why are you smiling like that?"

"It's head _phones,"_ She said.

"I thought phones were how Muggles made Floo calls."

She laughed, musical and wonderful to his ears. "Yes that's right. I think the phone is from the word phonetic as in how something sounds."

He blushed, "I suppose that makes sense. So you plug the head _phones_ into something that makes the recording play?"

She glanced at him, "Yes that's right. It's a bit hard to explain but there are little machines that play the recording. The type I have is called an mp3 player."

He was frowning, trying to understand how it all worked. "Like a record player but the record is not a physical thing you put in the player, right?"

"Yes! Just like that!"

When he glanced over at her, she was smiling and lit up in excitement. He felt a pull on his heart at how beautiful she looked in her excitement. He tried to tamp it down but the feeling was too strong. He hadn't taken his potion yet, because he normally took it after his run. It was a little worrying to be speaking with her so close to needing his next dose. "Maybe you can show me one day. I'm interested in how that would work…" He said… well, blurted.

Her smile grew, "Sure!"

Draco was extremely pleased at her willingness to show him something. He smiled as they jogged in silence for a few minutes, coming up on the end of the run for him.

"How many more laps were you planning on doing?" He asked, uncertain of how to end the short conversation which had been unusual and wonderful, but needing to so he could take his potion.

"Well," She seemed to calculate, "I think I'm too tired to continue. I didn't sleep well, so I suppose I'll finish up when we get to the castle."

Trying not to smirk and definitely trying to not think about why she hadn't slept well, Draco answered, "Well, do you want to walk the last bit for our cool down?"

She looked up at him with a smile and he thought he might die happily if he could have her look at him like that all the time. "OK."

They slowed to a walk, and Hermione wrapped the headphone cord around her hand and neatly put them in a small bag she produced from her pocket.

He asked, "What were you listening to?"

"I was listening to a biography about a Muggle." She glanced at him, seemingly uncertain if she should continue.

"I was reading one not long ago about a Muggle United States president named Kennedy-"

"Really? The one I'm listening to is about the same president! What was the name of the book?"

"An Unfinished Life, is it-"

"I can't believe it! It's the same book!"

He felt a small warmth spreading from her small hand when it touched his arm in her excitement. She was off, talking about the narrator and the president and he couldn't listen to any of it because his Veela was screaming for him to touch her, kiss her, mark her, fuck her. He clenched his fists and walked next to her, tamping down the stronger Veela, promising it satisfaction, but it just needed to _wait._

"-out his father had rigged the- Draco are you ok?" There was worry in her voice and her face when she stopped and came back to him where he had simply forgotten to keep walking. "Draco?" she asked, placing a hand on his clenched fist.

If only she knew what torture it was to have her softly calling his name and gracing him with her concern. He cracked his eyes open, only then noticing they were closed, "I'm sorry, I just… I have a cramp," he forced a laugh. It sounded harsh and pained to his own ears. He had a cramp, sure, but it was in his mind and his heart as he tried- desperately- to not kiss her as she looked up at him so sweetly.

"Oh, here, can you sit? Is it in your leg? I can rub it for you if you need, or should I get Madam-"

He groaned as he sat on the gravel lined path. He wordlessly summoned his potion to suppress the Veela and drank it down before she finished her sentence. "Oh, of course you have the pain Potions necessary. I'm sorry," She said, sounding relieved.

He laughed slightly and he could feel the Veela going back to sleep within him.

Seeing him relaxing she asked, "I went Muggle on you. Are you ok?"

He smirked, "Of course I am, Granger, I brewed it myself." He vanished the vial before she could notice the tell tale blood red color of the potion.

She stood with a huff, her tight pants showing off her leg muscles as she stood, "Well, I'm glad you're alright."

He stood with a wince, "Thank you for your concern," he said, uncertainly.

She glanced up at him with a small smile. "You're welcome."

 _Remember my manners, got it._ He thought. "Come along, Granger. Gotta keep the muscle moving to keep it from cramping."

"You don't have to…" She said in a small voice. Then at his curious glance said in a stronger tone, "You don't have to keep calling me just Granger you know. You're allowed to call me by my first name."

Inwardly, he was crowing. Aloud, he said, "I know."

She scoffed, "Then why do you always call me just Granger?"

He shrugged as they approached the castle. "It just comes out. Hermione just has so many syllables."

She looked at him in slight shock, "It only has three, you know."

"I know. And three is one more than a busy man like myself can afford to waste time pronouncing."

She giggled, "Just don't shorten my first name. I hate it."

"So you mean all those times when the Weasel called you 'mione…"

"That I barely restrained myself from ripping his tongue out? Yes." She was laughing as she said it.

He put his open palm in front of him and pretended to write with the index finger of his other hand on his imaginary pad of paper, "'Do not call Hermione Granger by anything other than her full name and all titles at all times', got it. Any others while I have my pen out?"

She bit her lip and then burst out laughing, "I start every run at 6 am, and if you'd like to join me tomorrow, I would like it." She looked shyly at him through her smile.

He felt his heart probably start beating again when she finished her sentence. Either that or he was having a heart attack, he wasn't sure. Pretending to write again, he said, "6 am run with Hermione Granger tomorrow', got it." He was grinning and he was pretty sure he could float all the way back to his rooms to shower and change. "You know, your lucky I'm free tomorrow. If you impress me, I might even rearrange my schedule to continue meeting you all this week."

She laughed hard at his cheek. Before she could respond, she was interrupted.

"Hermione!" Came a shout from the front of the castle. They both looked and there stood The Boy Who Lived with a steaming cup and a smile, waving.

"I'll be right there, Harry!" she called with a wave. To Draco, she said in a low voice, "He's probably just found out that his wife is pregnant. I've known for a few weeks, but she wanted to be sure before telling him." She touched his arm again, "I'll see you tomorrow, if I don't see you before then. Have a good first day!"

Then she bounded off to her best friend and

Hermione and Harry went inside the castle together, turning to the right inside the doors. Draco came behind them and headed down to his rooms to the left.

Draco was perfectly content in his life for the moment. She was coming to him of her own volition. She might even consider them friends. Maybe in a few days or a week or maybe as long as two weeks, he would ask her on a date and everything would be amazing.

He sighed, smiling broadly as he heard her squeal behind him.

When Draco was done showering, he sent a message to the Headmistress, requesting a meeting. He needed to talk to her about how best to increase the potency of his Veela suppression potion. He was within sight of his goal, he couldn't afford to lose control now.

His first day of classes passed slowly. Two of the years were behind the ministry standards, but he could get them up to speed in no time at all. Lunch was again spent nodding at whatever Patil twin had come to be the divination teacher (he had already forgotten which one she was) was talking about.

At 2 in the afternoon, he met with the headmistress.

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't think there is a way to strengthen the potion." She said when he explained what he needed. "In an ordinary course of things, you would already have married her. I don't think any Veela has ever gone so long without at least telling their mate that they are betrothed."

"What do you mean, betrothed?" His eyebrows were currently in residence somewhere above his hairline at this turn of events.

"Well, of course you know the ministry has decreed all Veela mates as a special classification of citizens. Once you identify her as your mate, the ministry has already recorded your betrothal, and will continue to record marriage and birth of subsequent children. As it happens I have just found out a piece of information regarding your status this morning... Your parents were notified after the fifth year of non action."

"Wait, my PARENTS?"

"Since your parents sentence has ended as of yesterday, I believe the missive would have been in the backlog of their correspondence."

"How can the ministry do that? I'm an adult!" Draco was pissed.

"I'm sorry I didn't know of this sooner, Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps you might now wish to go visit them?"

Draco sighed wearily, his anger dissipated. "I honestly don't know if they'll see me."

At the end of the war, it had been revealed that Draco was a spy for the light. His own sentence for his part in the war had been only a few months. His parents had gotten five year sentences. Draco's dual role had been so secret, not even his parents had known about it. They also had no idea of why he had done it. Well, they might have a faint idea of why he did it. Regardless, hėe had no idea what they would say when they found out that Hermione Granger was his mate.

"Of course it's your decision," McGonagall said, nodding sympathetically.

"Well, shit." Draco said, standing and pacing.

"Mr. Malfoy, as I have told you before-"

"I know I know don't curse, forgive me headmistress, but I am a bit stressed at the moment."

"As I was going to say," McGonagall said with a glare at the pacing man, "You ought to just sit down and explain the situation to her. Miss Granger is an extremely sympathetic person, I'm sure that she would-"

" _What?_ Would she just marry me without even wondering if it's the best thing for her just because it's the _right thing to do?_ You bloody Gryffindors are not _that_ brave. I'll be taking her _LIFE_ away from her!"

"Mr. Malfoy-"

"No! You're throwing your former student into a forced marriage that's based on keeping my worthless ass from dying? That's totally unacceptable!"

"I agree," Came a voice from behind Draco.

When he turned, Harry Potter was standing in front of him with an unreadable expression on his bespeckled face.

"She would never make Hermione do anything. If I'm understanding this conversation, Malfoy, neither would you."

Draco stared at him in shock, "How much of this have you heard?"

"Why would you be entering a forced marriage with Hermione?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Draco looked from Harry to McGonagall, then back again. He sighed and sat down in the squishy arm chair in front of McGonagall's desk. "Sit down Potter, and I'll explain."

Harry sat and Draco quickly told him what was happening.

When Draco was finished, Harry sat back, looking thoughtfully at the woodgrain on McGonagall's desk. "So you feel like it would be unfair to ask her. You actually want her to fall in love with you and want to marry you?"

Draco looked uncomfortable. "Well, one of us should have a choice."

Harry gaped at him. "You actually think like that don't you? She will never fall for you if you're going in without being honest. It's the basis of a relationship."

It was Draco's turn to gape at Harry.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Said the headmistress. "I've been trying to tell him that for weeks."

Draco stood, suddenly. "I'll think about it. Potter, I assume you're going to keep your mouth shut about this until I make a decision?"

Harry looked at him severely for a moment. "Until you make your decision," Harry said with a nod. "I reserve the right to tell her if you make the wrong decision and hurt her ever," He said, pointing an accusing finger at Draco.

"That's the thing, Potter. I could never and would never _want_ to hurt her." He smiled sadly, "That's exactly why I'm afraid to tell her, because I know I'm not good enough for her." He nodded at McGonagall and then left the office.

A/N: I'm so glad you all seem to like this story. I've never done a Veela story so I'm excited to try this out.

Just for clarification, McGonagall knows through someone having told her, not like the Ministry sent her an official correspondence about it.

Also, Draco is a bit out of character here, but it's because he is having difficulty controlling the Veela. So he's going with super polite to help himself control it. That's why after he has his potion, he's more snarky. That's just in case those two things weren't clear enough.


	3. Secrets

"So, you're friendly with Malfoy now?" Harry asked when he sat next to Hermione for dinner the same evening.

Hermione looked up from her current book with a frown. "Should I not be? I've known him since we were eleven. We studied together throughout college. He's our coworker now, too, so why shouldn't I be friendly with him?"

Harry put his hands in front of himself to stop her tirade, "I just meant I didn't realize you jogged with him, is all. I've been meaning to talk to you about it all day."

Hermione looked at him for a moment then slowly answered, "I'm sorry. I got defensive. Yes, I'm friendly with him. I think we're friends, but he's a strange person, so I don't really know how to act around him."

Harry frowned at his mashed potatoes, unsure how to ask what he wanted to know. "Do you… you know… like him?" Harry finally said with a pink tinge to his cheeks.

Hermione laughed, "Sure I like him, but not like how I think you mean. And anyway it wouldn't matter if I did." She lowered her voice and leaned closer to him to finish, "I'm fairly certain he's gay, Harry."

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "What, uh… what makes you think that?" He asked hesitantly.

She looked at him with a nervous expression, "Well we did go to college together you know."

"Of course I know that. Ron made mention of it at least once a day for a full year, if I remember correctly."

She laughed, "Well I was only there for three years with him but not once was he ever in a relationship. The rumor was that he had a secret boyfriend who broke up with him the summer after I graduated. My friend Sally told me he was an absolute wreck for the whole year. He still seems a little sad, even now so I guess the boyfriend meant a lot to him."

Harry put an expression of thoughtfulness on his face but was inwardly laughing like a maniac. Hermione would be going through one hell of a ride in her relationship with Draco. _With_ _ **Malfoy**_ He frowned and corrected himself. "That seems like a silly jump for the rumor. Him not being with a girl doesn't mean the person in the secret relationship would be a guy, right? Do you really think he's gay?"

She blushed slightly and answered, "Well, he turned down so many women that even I noticed. Remember how much I hated being in classes with him?" Harry nodded. "Well I purposefully ignored everything about him for a whole year. A few months into that year, his mysterious singleness…. Well, it was practically all the girls talked about. I couldn't ignore it anymore. He was like the most sought after male in the school, but he would just politely turn everyone down.

"When I realized he was truly just there to study, I started to study with him. Harry, he never even looked at a girl. So it seems like he must be gay or asexual or something. I think he's only ever been rumored to have dated Parkinson, but I don't know if he ever really did."

Harry saw an opening, "Well if you don't know that much about him, don't you think you ought to get to know him better?"

"Harry that's a great idea! He can accompany me to your party for Hannah's pregnancy!"

"We're having a party?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Oh I guess she forgot to tell you when she told you…"

"You knew about it before I did?" Harry asked, sounding peeved.

Hermione blushed and ducked her head, "Oops."

Harry glared at her for a moment. He couldn't be truly angry, as he was currently holding a secret from her about Malfoy. "Fine, bring him to the party. It'll rib on Ron, though."

Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust, "He's coming, too?"

"Well, I actually don't know, since I only just found out about the party in the first place," he gave her a stern look, "but I assume Hannah would invite the whole Weasley clan, since they're always invited to our parties."

"Well, as long as he doesn't try to speak to me after last time." It wasn't bad enough that when they had broken up, Ron had acted like the biggest idiot on the planet, he continued to exist, and insisted on talking to her every time they saw each other as though they were best friends.

She gave Ron no indication that she was interested in anything he said, but he insisted on talking at her every time as though they were catching up. He even followed her if she tried to just walk away. He kept talking if she turned away and struck up a conversation with someone else. "Does he actually think I care about him?"

"I think he expects you'll be polite and give in to what he wants. I don't think he knows that that's not being polite, that's being a doormat."

She laughed. "I'll ask Malfoy if he wants to go. Maybe if Malfoy is there, then Ron will fly off in a rage and leave _before_ I want to kill him or insult him."

Harry laughed with her. "I'm glad that your priorities are in order."

She laughed with him and they moved on to talking about Harry's upcoming child with the ease of an old friendship.

Draco could hear her musical laughter at the other end of the staff table as he sat down. He was coming in a bit late this evening, and so was seated next to the edge of the table.

"Getting on well, Draco?" asked a voice next to Draco.

He glanced at the owner of the voice and vaguely recognized the woman next to him. Wasn't she the apprentice for Hagrid? "Some of the students are a bit behind, but I'm sure they'll catch up very soon. And how about yourself?" He asked, wondering what in the world her name was.

"Oh, you know, just trying to keep up with it all. So many names to remember!"

Draco smirked, "Yes, I'm having difficulty with it as well." He hesitated then said, "You seem to be doing better than me, though. My sincerest apologies, for I have forgotten yours."

"That's quite alright. I'm forgettable. My name is Jean."

"Right, I'm sorry. You're the apprentice for Care of Magical Creatures, correct?" Draco asked, unsure of what else to say. He began to eat while she answered.

"Yes, that's me. Hagrid is a good teacher, I think. He's really showing me a totally different way to handle the creatures than how the University taught me. I mean, the University says to pretty much just treat them like they're zoo animals and not have a relationship at all with them. Like, who would have thought you should learn the mating schedules of…" Jean kept going, but Draco was distracted.

Hermione was looking around nervously from near the door to the great hall. When she saw him at the table still, she almost made to come back in, but changed her mind, waved, and then left. Draco was very confused. Did she need help? He could feel her nervousness through their bond. He didn't know what was making her feel that way, but he couldn't do anything to help her or even just find out what was causing the feelings without seeming creepy. He was fairly certain the emotions had something to do with him, but he also had a sense she was headed to her room, which was the opposite direction from his. He couldn't even follow her without becoming a stalker.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Jean nudging him gently in his side and saying, "Is she your mate?"

"I- what?" Smooth as ever Draco, he thought. "I'm sorry I missed what you said."

Jean smiled broadly, "Oh I know. You haven't been listening for some time now. I asked if she was your mate."

He looked at Jean uneasily. Was it that obvious? "What do you mean by that?" Came out automatically. He definitely wasn't going to answer without having an idea of how much Jean knew.

"Well, you're part Veela, right? I mean, it would explain the perfect hair and perfect skin and even the aura of confidence. I mean if I'm wrong tell me, but there's a very high chance there's a Veela in the castle, given some of the ingredients Hagrid is collecting for you."

Draco cleared his throat. "I… Yes, alright. Yes to all of it. I did not want it to become public knowledge."

Jean looked at him for a split second then in a lower tone said, "How have you not told her? I mean it has to be agonizing. You're already what, 20?"

"22."

She gasped and looked at him sadly, "You poor man. Why haven't you told her?" Before he could even begin to answer, she interrupted herself, "Wait, I'm sorry, that's really invasive of me. You don't need to answer that. Um, is there anything I can do to help make it easier for you?"

Draco sighed wearily. He took another bite of his food, which he was sad to discover tasted like ash in his mouth. "I suppose you're one of few in this castle who would actually understand. No. There is nothing you can do. I'm working toward telling her. It's just… difficult."

"I can't even imagine. Is… is it alright that I know? I won't tell anyone, obviously, but… I'm really sorry. I guess I just… I was so proud of myself for figuring it out, I didn't stop to think how you must feel about it."

He smiled sadly at her, "You are very suited to Care of Magical Creatures."

She flushed, "Thank you."

"Don't be sorry that you were proud of yourself. In the future, I would advise you to think about what you could do with that kind of information. Not all creatures want to be confronted with their own inner demons, half breed or otherwise. Think if I had been a werewolf, for an example. Would it have been advantageous for you to point it out in some way?"

She looked down, ashamed and also thinking. "No. It wouldn't have unless it was near the full moon, and even then I don't need to say anything. I would just need the knowledge."

He smiled, wishing for the millionth time he had been different as a child. Wishing things could have been different. "This is a lesson Hagrid will never explain, but it is one you should know."

She looked at him gratefully, "Thank you Professor."

"Well, as my appetite has been put off, I shall bid you a good evening, Jean." He smiled at her to make sure she didn't worry about upsetting him and headed off to his rooms.

When he opened the door to his suite, he caught the unmistakable odor of his father's aftershave.

Draco's heart stopped.

 _Shit._

He wasn't prepared.

He knew he needed to see them but he just wasn't ready. He needed to figure out what to do and say and how to explain everything. "Father? Mother?" He heard his mouth calling out.

"We are in your sitting room, my son," His mother called, sounding happy and healthy and alive.

When Draco rounded the corner, he saw his father seated in a side chair with his cane in one hand and a book from the coffee table in the other. He was looking over his reading glasses at Draco. His long hair loose on his shoulders and dressed in- what else- all black. He had no expression on his face.

Then Draco's mother pulled him into a hug and he realized he was at least a little excited and happy to see them. "Hello mother," Draco said as he hugged her back. She smelled like her flowery perfume just like she always did. The lavender dress she wore with a matching wrap was becoming on her, even though it seemed a bit large on her thinner frame.

When she pulled back, Draco was sad to see how much she had aged in her stay at Azkaban. Fine lines had appeared on the once smooth forehead and crow's feet marred her beautiful eyes. "I'm glad to see you, Draco," She said after a moment.

"And I, you, mother." He left her embrace to shake hands with his still seated father. "Father. It's good to see you. Is your knee still paining you?"

"More than ever," Lucius answered. "We've not come to speak of my knee, son. Sit down, we must speak with you."

Draco sighed wearily. "Let us at least have some tea. Elves? Tea please." The tea tray appeared and he made the tea to his parents liking quickly. "Mother," he said as he handed her chamomile with honey. "Father," he said as he handed him his peppermint with sugar.

They both nodded their thanks from where they sat. Draco poured his own chamomile and added sugar while his father said, "Now Draco, tell us of your mate."

Draco sipped his tea, unsure how to start. "My mate... " he hesitated. What would they say? Would he be cut off? Would they disown him? He sighed and put down his tea cup. "My mate is Hermione Granger."

His mother frowned slightly and his father started. "The girl third of the golden trio? The mu…" He lowered his voice, "muggleborn?"

He nodded. His parents eyes met. "She's quite lovely, Draco." His mother said, hesitantly. "Have you spoken to her since you discovered she is your mate?"

Draco looked between his parents, confused. "Yes. She went to college with me. She is the History of Magic Professor here at the school."

His father leaned forward, "You're mate… is Hermione Granger?" His expression intense.

"Lucius, do keep up. It doesn't matter who she is."

"I'm just amazed he is so lucky as to have one of the most famous witches of this century as his mate." Lucius said. "It will be an amazing match." Draco was shocked to see tears in his father's eyes. "What an addition she will be to the Malfoy line."

Draco looked at his mother for an explanation for his father's strange behavior. Narcissa was looking equally confused when she met Draco's eyes. "Lucius, darling, are you alright?"

"I'm just imagining little blonde curly haired grandchildren and," He sighed dreamily.

"Oh, right." Narcissa said, "His medication for his pain can make him a bit… funny sometimes. I've forgotten. That's why we always gave it to him at night." Narcissa went to sit next to Lucius on the arm of his chair. She smiled sadly at Draco, "We've been without medications for a long time. There's a lot of side effects to remember. Please forgive me for upsetting you Draco. Would you like us to visit another day?"

"No mother, you have not upset me. Nor has father. I understand. Hermione is… well I have not spoken to her about being my mate."

In unison his parents shouted, "You haven't?"

Draco rubbed his forehead. "I know. I should have." He stood and paced as he continued, "It's not bloody fair, is it? None of this is. I want her to be able to see me- no love me- without the aide of pheromones. She is a wonderful, smart, kind, and compassionate woman and me being Veela makes all of those thing become selfishly mine. She won't be able to have male friends easily without me becoming jealous. Her best friend is male, need I remind you."

"Draco, she's your mate!" Lucius said, looking angry, his earlier oddness seeming to have faded due to the shock. "It's her destiny to be your wife! None of these arguments matter! You must marry her!"

"That is a terrible curse for her then. Can't you see she would probably accept me and marry me just because she couldn't bear to see anyone suffer? Not because she wants me. Not because she cares for me. She would go through the motions because it's the _right_ thing to do."

"But, Draco, darling, she would be easy to marry then, don't you see? Her compassion works in your favor, so simply explain it to her and all this suffering will end!" Narcissa said, sounding more agitated.

"I don't deserve any of it, don't you see? I've done horrid things to her and her friends and even stood by while she was tortured! She has scars that are _my_ fault. There is nothing I could ever do to make up for that! How could she ever _ever_ forgive me? How could she ever actually love me after all that?"

"She will." His father said softly, clasping his mother's hand in his. He seemed to be a little more emotional, as he had been earlier. "She will because she is your mate. She's not just a random person who is chosen for you Draco. Your magic sought out the most perfect match for you in all the world. If she is speaking to you at all, then she has already either forgiven you or at the least moved past it." He shook his head, as if to clear it. "The hesitation is going to kill you, my son. You only have until your next birthday to mark her, and you know it. You're already starting to weaken, are you not?"

Draco looked at his father, stunned. Never in his life had his father uttered a supporting word to him and here he was trying to give him dating advice. _Never mind, I sound like a bloody teenager_. "Only slightly. My magic is only just beginning to fade."

"If you weaken significantly, you risk exposing what we are to the Wizarding world. Our family has worked very hard to never show that we are Veela."

"Yes, father. That has worked so well for us in the past," Draco said sarcastically. He thought it to be a bad time to bring up how many people currently knew they were Veela.

"I believe your father is right Draco. Do the two of you at least have a cordial relationship?"

"We do, mother. But, you are both acting like I'm never going to tell her. I have already decided to tell her. It's just a matter of when." This was the first time he realized that he really must tell her. He was being a coward and taking away her choice no matter what he did. He sighed, sitting down again.

"It won't be as difficult as I'm sure you imagine. Hear me, Draco," He looked attentively as she continued, "You must marry her, and soon. Else you end the Malfoy line."

"I hear you mother." He said, reciting one of his oldest lessons.

She seemed to hesitate for a second before continuing, "If you won't act," She glanced at Lucius, "We will have to force you, as unhappy we will be about it."

"Force it?" Draco asked, confused.

"You're potion is the only thing keeping you sane," Lucius said, looking sad. "If we have to, Draco, we will destroy your whole store room."

"You can't!" Draco said angrily.

"We can and we will. You are our only child Draco," His mother said coming to stand in front of him. "I don't want to, and neither does your father. All we want is for you to live.

"I will live," Draco insisted.

"You're not seeing reason, Draco. You must marry her before you start to weaken significantly." She touched his face and Draco pulled his head back sharply in anger. She sighed. "You have made it clear you're going to act. Think of this warning as incentive to act sooner."

"None of this is fair, and I have no idea how I will tell her that she belongs with me. We have so much history that I don't know how to begin."

His mother took Draco's hand in both of hers, "Start with an apology for taking so long. But you must marry her Draco. She doesn't truly have a choice. You would only be giving her the illusion of choice. You've made it clear you don't want her to be manipulated into the marriage but there is absolutely no choice in the matter."

Draco sighed, resigned.

She smiled at him sadly. "How is it you've grown more handsome since I saw you last?"

Draco smiled, feeling sad and angry but still loving his mother. "It's a reflection of your own beauty shining back at you," Draco answered, finishing an old tradition between them.

"Come along, Lucius. Let's get you home," She said, helping him to his feet. "We will come for another visit soon, Draco. Please keep us up to date on your mate, won't you?"

"Yes mother," Draco said with a sigh.

A/N: Well, this is certainly turning out a bit dramatic, isn't it? Not to worry, though. The story will start getting more lighthearted coming soon. Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites too! Drop me a review and let me know what you think so far!


	4. A Curious Nature

Hermione was taking a book back to the library early in the evening. She was thinking about her next day's lessons and trying to decide how best to ask Draco to the baby announcement party that weekend… without making it sound like it was a date. _Not that it would be bad to date him, but it's not exactly like I'm his type_ , she thought with a giggle.

Rounding the corner toward the library near the entrance hall, she spotted a shocking sight. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were walking down the hall together. The clicking of Lucius' cane and Narcissa's heels on the stone brought her attention to them immediately. _I'll just walk past them with a nod if I make eye contact. That seems right._ She nodded to herself and walked a bit faster to pass them.

As she came closer, she kept her eyes forward and back straight, trying to just get past them. Narcissa saw her and nudged Lucius. _Of course she saw me. I have just the worst luck._

"Good evening Miss Granger," Lucius said cordially.

Narcissa smiled and nodded to her as well.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione said. _Ok, there, pleasantries done and I'll just keep walking…_

"Miss Granger, I wonder if we might have a word?" Narcissa said, her voice still practiced and polished.

Hermione stopped walking, "Uh, sure." _Great. This is where they tell me to never speak to their Pureblooded son ever again and tell me I'm worthless._ She thought, resisting the urge to touch her left forearm.

"We've just come to see our son, and he's informed us of your… position at the school." Lucius said, sounding… _nervous_?

Hermione's eyes flicked between the two. "Yes, I am now the Professor of History of Magic."

"How impressive for someone your age," Narcissa said… _Was that genuine?_

"I suppose so, but your son is the Potions Professor, and we are the same age."

"Yes, but Potions and History of Magic are vastly different wouldn't you say? And he tells us you even graduated top of your class?" Narcissa continued.

Hermione smiled shyly, "I did. He gave me a challenge but I graduated before he did."

"Why that's very impressive, isn't it Lucius?"

"Very impressive. You may not know this, Miss Granger, but Narcissa is a bit of a history lover herself." Narcissa gave Lucius a strange look.

"Why yes I am." Narcissa said, turning to Hermione with a calculated expression. "Perhaps one day we might have you for tea. If that's not too forward?"

Hermione gaped. "Tea? With you?"

"Yes, well, I can imagine our unfavorable history might present a problem. I'll send you an invite, and you can have some time to think, how's that?"

"That… would be fine," Hermione stammered. _What the hell is going on?_

Narcissa smiled, "Wonderful. Then we shall take our leave. Good evening Miss Granger." Narcissa said.

"Good evening," Lucius echoed. When Hermione looked at him he… _Is he crying? Was he in pain? It would be rude to ask, right?_

"Uh, good evening Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione said and then walked past them toward the library.

Hermione continued on her way, deeply confused about what had just happened. She was considering seeking out Draco to see if he knew what was happening with his parents, but she was meant to meet Harry to go over plans for when they took the students to Hogsmeade. _I'll see him in the morning anyway_ , she told herself as she turned back to her rooms.

She knocked on Harry's door and he called for her to come in. "Ready to talk about Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked as she entered his room.

Like hers, Harry's room was more of a one bedroom apartment, with a sitting area and a kitchenette, with one door leading to the bathroom and another leading to the bedroom. His sitting room was tidy with a couch and an armchair both in an unusual shade of tan. Harry himself was sitting in the armchair in a t-shirt and jeans, hastily covering something on the coffee table. "Yes, of course. Sorry Hermione, I forgot you were coming by. Uh, let me just grab my notes and stuff."

Hermione pretended she hadn't seen what Harry was trying to hide. Most likely it was either some kind of dirty magazine or a parenting book.

She was aware that men looked at images of… pornography, but she never really had. Just once when she wondered what a penis looked like. Hermione liked men just fine, her sexuality had never been a question, but she had never been particularly interested in any male she had ever met. Not even Ron. _Well except maybe one… but it doesn't matter. That ship is meant for a different harbor._ She thought, smiling at her own wit.

Harry offered her refreshments and she accepted some tea and biscuits before they started to work. "Harry, do you have any sugar? I only see honey here."

"Oh, sure, let me grab it for you," Harry said as he stood. When he brushed by the coffee table, his leg brushed by the papers he had used to cover the book he had tried to hide when she arrived.

Hermione looked, mostly because her eyes had been drawn by the movement. The title of the book was _A Veela Life Cycle: From Birth to Death._ Hermione frowned in thought, but picked up her notes, deciding not to comment on the issue.

When Harry came back, she felt him tense as soon as he saw the title exposed and he made a very not subtle effort to cover the title while he handed her the sugar. She thanked him absently and stirred her sugar into her chamomile tea. _If he wants to tell me, he can._ She told herself. _Maybe I should look into Veela before he inevitably asks me for more information? Maybe it's just for a class. I don't really know much of anything about Veela. I should look into the history of Veela just in case he wants to work together on a project._ These thoughts raced through her mind as she stirred her tea. Harry began to speak and she made a mental note to research Veela later in the week if she had time.

She stayed at Harry's for a few hours, mostly talking about the Hogsmeade trip but also often digressing to other topics. Harry made sure she knew the birth announcement party would take place that weekend (Hannah already told her), the location in Muggle London (Hannah already told her), and the time (which, coincidentally, Hermione had suggested to Hannah when they had been speaking about this party last week). But Hermione nodded and expressed her excitement earnestly. He hinted at revealing the gender at the party and Hermione clapped in her excitement (it was going to be a boy).

When she went back to her own room, it was almost curfew for the students. She was smiling as she walked down the corridor. Things seemed to be going just fine in Hermione's life. Sure she could probably be happier, but she was content where she was at in life.

So when a sudden burst of sorrow overcame her, she was unprepared. She felt as if her heart was breaking. The feeling was so strong that she actually collapsed against a wall, struggling not to cry uncontrollably. She had not felt this level of sorrow since the end of the war when so many had been lost. She pulled her wand out with great difficulty and used a spell to bring Madam Pomfrey to her. The use of her magic finally broke her and she collapsed in a faint.

* * *

When she awoke, she was in the infirmary. "Hermione? Are you with us?" She blinked and saw the silver gaze of Draco Malfoy looking at her, worried.

"Yes, I'm… I'm awake." Hermione said, her head was pounding and she did not want to move. "My head hurts."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Draco asked, offering her a glass of water.

"I was… is there a straw? I don't think I can sit up." A bright pink flexible plastic straw was offered to Malfoy from his left. She moved her head and saw Madam Pomfrey was holding it, looking stern and worried at once.

"Thank you," She sipped the straw. Feeling a bit better once the chilled water hit her throat, she said, "I went to see Harry. We had some tea and we were talking. Then I was walking in the corridor and…" She felt stupid saying it, but they would need to know if anyone was to ever figure out why she fainted. Draco nodded, encouraging her to continue. He placed a hand gently on her arm and Hermione felt a bit better. "I felt this overwhelming sadness, like a dementor, but… well it was even worse than that, if you can believe it. I sent for Poppy, I think, but it's a bit fuzzy."

"What could make someone feel worse than a dementor?" Madam Pomfrey asked of the room.

Draco's thumb was rubbing gentle circles on her bicep and Hermione asked him, "Could it have been poison, Draco?"

"There are several that would indeed make you feel that way, but you would have been killed by them. Could it have been a ghost?" He looked over the bed and Hermione turned her head, seeing Harry was there, looking massively distraught.

"From what I know of the facts so far, there's only a few possibilities and a ghost is one of them. Can you remember anything else, Hermione?" Harry asked.

She closed her eyes for a moment and thought back. Trying to recreate the sadness feeling in her mind. "I was thinking everything was just fine right before the sadness hit, but I don't think that would have anything to do with it."

When she opened her eyes she happened to look right at Draco. "What time is it? It was about 10 when I left Harry."

Draco looked at the clock on the wall, "It's only just turned 11. You were taken here at, when Poppy?"

"I came to her call at 10:15 or so."

"So there's no real time missing. Aside from your head, does anything else feel sore or wrong?" Harry asked.

"No, just the headache. Mostly on my right side. Did I hit it, maybe?"

Draco reached forward cautiously, looking at her for permission. She nodded, idly wondering if her hair looked like a birds nest after all this.

His fingers touched the silk of her hair and he could hardly believe she had let him. _Focus_ he thought angrily to himself. After a brief exploration of her skull, she winced as he felt a swollen lump near her ear. "Poppy?" He said, turning to the mediwitch, but she was gone. Before Draco could begin to ask Harry where she had gone, she was back and putting a premeasured dose of pain potion and swelling cream in his hand. He smiled his thanks and gently applied the cream just after Hermione took the medicine.

Hermione wondered for a moment why Draco was the one administering the medications, but as the pain subsided, she realized that he would be just as able to apply the medicines as he was to make them. It really made no matter.

Draco, on the other hand was grateful that everyone knew he was a Veela. Well, everyone except Hermione. Poppy would know that Draco would have difficulty allowing her to help, and so had stood aside. Thankfully, Hermione wasn't making a big deal of it either. _Gods, I am so stupid. I knew that she was beginning to sense the bond and yet I still couldn't control my emotions. Crying like a child because I can't have what I want, honestly. And what has it brought me? An injured mate which is_ _ **again**_ _my fault._

Hermione sighed as he finished and the swelling started going down. She looked up at him gratefully and his heart filled a thousand times over. He smiled without realizing it. "Thanks Draco," She said softly.

"Well, I guess you're alright now?" Harry said, maybe a little too loudly. "Want me to wait to walk you back?"

"No, that's alright, Harry. I can walk back myself." Hermione answered.

"The hell you can. Go on, Potter. I'll make sure she's alright." Draco said… maybe a little too roughly.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Madam Pomfrey, "Go on Harry. Draco can walk me back like the big strong man he is," She said, sarcastically.

Harry snorted. "Alright Hermione. I'll see you for breakfast."

Harry left and Madam Pomfrey said, "Just wait long enough for the pain medicine to work. It will take about ten more minutes and then you can go. I'm going back to bed, so lock the door, won't you?"

"Yes ma'am," Draco said solemnly.

She left and Hermione said, "Why are you always so serious?"

Draco looked at her, amused. "I've a dry wit, Granger."

"Dry as the Sahara?"

He chuckled, "Drier." He wondered how long he could fight off the Veela today. He had more contact with her in the last day than he possibly ever had in one day. Would it be easier or harder to resist her allure with more contact?

"We're you sleeping when they called you? Wait, why were you called? Did they think I was poisoned?"

"I was not sleeping and they did think you had been poisoned. I was reading, if you must know."

"Oh? What were you reading?" She asked, perking up adorably.

"A boring book on Potions. I was glad for the distraction."

"Boring? I shudder to think what _you_ find boring."

He scoffed, "Are you implying I'm boring, Miss Granger?"

She grinned, "I'll reserve judgement."

"Oh? But how am I to convince you I'm not?"

She looked at him momentarily, a calculating look taking over for her grin. "Well, I can think of many many things, but I suppose I will settle for this: Tell me something about yourself. I hardly know you, as Harry pointed out today."

He leaned forward and rested his head on a hand. "You mean I'm worthy of being a conversational topic of the Brightest Witch of Our Age _and_ The Boy Who Lived? I believe that simply proves I'm not as boring as you might paint me."

She laughed, "Fair point, but my point still stands."

"Hmm, what about my absolutely not boring life would convince you…" No, really, he had no idea what to say. Then, suddenly he realized he could tell her at least one thing. "I'm secretly a monster." He said. Regret flooded him. This was not the right time.

She laughed, "I very much doubt that."

 _Thank the gods, she thinks it's a joke._ "Won't fall for it, eh?"

She touched his arm softly, "I think you're secretly a decent person, Draco Malfoy."

He felt his soul leaping for joy, "As long as you can keep that a secret, I think we can still be friends."

She smiled, her beauty nearly overwhelming, "That sounds good to me."

"Alright, Granger 10 minutes is up, you want to try standing?" He said, mostly to stop himself from snogging her furiously.

She nodded and sat up slowly. "Just a little dizzy," She said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. He held his hands out, ready to catch her if she fell. She stood normally, feeling alright. "I think I'm ok, Malfoy," she said, smiling. Realization struck her and she said, "I was going to talk to you in the morning."

He stepped back and gestured for her to go before him. "About what?" He asked trying valiantly to not stare at her perfect ass encased in the most wonderful torture device known to man- the denim trousers they call jeans.

She picked up her cardigan from a chair and pulled it over her, it's long hem partly covering her rear end and most of her curves and Draco mentally thanked her. "About your parents. And also about Harry."

His parents? His Veela addled mind caught on that one. "My parents?"

She was still walking in front of him when they exited the infirmary, so Draco locked the door. She turned partly to watch him and his heart stopped for a second when he saw how beautiful and wonderful and _homey_ she looked. Gods he wanted to- _stop it_. He growled to the Veela. _Soon. Not tonight. What the hell does homey mean anyway?_

"I saw your parents briefly today." She told him.

He looked down at her as they started walking next to each other. "Did you see them as they were arriving or leaving?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Well, it would have made their… attitude different from one to the other."

She looked at him sympathetically. "Were they upset at you? Well, rest assured, you must have calmed them down considerably because they were perfectly pleasant. Disturbingly pleasant, as it was _me_ they were speaking to."

He chuckled, "Yes, well, I fear they are getting their way even if I don't want it."

She puzzled over this and wondered what it could be. "Were… you don't have to answer if this is too personal, but were they in Azkaban?"

He nodded, pressing his lips together. He cleared his throat and then said, "They were released this month."

"Do you have… a good relationship with them?"

He smiled wearily, "Always questions with you, Granger."

She smiled, "Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know if I should run tomorrow, what do you think?"

By the gods he wanted to hug her then. How sweet she was. How compassionate! "Maybe just a short one. Or a walk. I think a walk would be best. Don't worry, Granger. I'll still walk with you. I made an appointment and I'll keep it."

She laughed again. "You are so strange."

He grinned, "I am. But I rather like it about myself. Apparently you do as well, as you keep talking to me."

"I do, it matches well with my own strangeness."

"It does indeed." He risked his sanity, but he took her arm and placed it on his elbow. She gave him an uncomprehending look and he said, "I _am_ a gentleman, Granger."

They were crossing the entry hall and her peals of laughter rebounded against the high ceiling. _One day I'll kiss the laughter from her lips and taste her joy,_ he thought, feeling that old longing fill him once more. It was banished when Hermione hugged his arm.

"I'm glad we're friends Draco." She said softly.

He patted her hand, "Me too, Granger. Me too."

"Will you come to a party with me where you might get ripped to shreds by the Weasley family?" She asked suddenly.

Her honey eyes were glowing with a smile when he looked down at her, frowning, "What?"

"I… er… well Harry is having a baby, well not _Harry_ but his wife Hannah is having a baby. They're having an announcement party this weekend and…" She dropped her gaze, shyly, "I just thought maybe you might want to come. You know… if you're not busy."

He smirked, "Are you asking me on a date, Granger?"

She blushed, "No, I just meant like as friends, you know. I mean it's not like I'm your type, anyway."

They were turning down the hallway by her room. Draco needed a second to process it and Hermione took his hesitation as rejection, "It's ok you don't have to-"

"Of course I'll go," Draco interrupted. "But if I come home with a single red hair on my jacket, it's you who will pay the price, Granger."

"Really?" She was smiling up at him with so much happiness and excitement. He really couldn't help himself. He kissed her. When he drew back, her eyes were wide. He was so incredibly grateful he had kissed her cheek.

"Really. Goodnight Granger. I'll see you in the morning." He turned and walked away. Hermione stood stock still for at least 30 seconds, shocked that he had kissed her cheek and that he had accepted and did he think this was a date now?

A/N: Gosh, you guys. What a response! Thanks for all the reviews, and favorites/follows! Don't forget to drop a review on your way out! I'm curious about your theories! I'm about 2 chapters ahead and closing in on the


	5. Fog

Hermione woke up the next morning, feeling just fine. She was sure she had just had a very vivid dream about Draco having kissed her cheek. She was pretty sure the dream meant the mild attraction she had toward him all through college might have bloomed into a crush. While tying her trainers, she remembered she needed to ask Draco about the party and _ohgodthatwasnotadream_.

Her eyes widened. No, that couldn't possibly have happened.

She asked him to the party.

Right.

He said yes.

Amazing.

...and then he kissed her on the cheek.

She gasped.

No.

What?

Why did he kiss her on the cheek? She knew it had to have happened because she had been agonizing over the same thing until she finally fell asleep. Then she had a dream of him lying on a bed and herself riding him hard and arching in her release when he gripped her hips to fuck her harder and-

This crush was-

But she didn't know how to-

Her mind apparently had broken. She stayed sitting and pinched herself. "Periwinkle," She called in a strained voice.

The little elf popped in with a bow. "What can Peri get for Miss?"

"Good morning Peri. Am I dreaming right now?"

The elf looked at her with a puzzled expression. "No, Miss."

Hermione sighed, oddly relieved. "Can I have a cup of coffee, please?"

"Yes Miss. Would you like some breakfast, as well?"

"No, Peri, you know how I am. I'll get sick if I eat this early. But thank you anyway."

The elf nodded and popped out of sight. The coffee appeared in a Muggle style to-go cup. _I'm really not dreaming am I?_ Peri always gave Hermione a to-go cup because Hermione never stayed still to drink coffee. When she needed coffee was when she needed to fly through her day. Hermione rubbed her face, not sure what to think.

She looked at her clock and saw it was 5:50 and if she was to meet Draco, she would need to get a move on.

"Oh god I'm to meet Draco this morning," She groaned.

She made herself stand and pulled a brush through her hair and pulled it into a normal ponytail. "It's probably a friend kiss. Friends kiss each other on the cheek all the time, Hermione." She sternly told her reflection while she did her grooming. "Plus, he's _French,_ Hermione. Maybe he's just used to saying goodbye like that. So stop obsessing." She nodded sternly to her reflection and left her room.

* * *

In his rooms, Draco had not slept well. Hermione's anxiety had kept him awake until he had finally sent her visions through her dreams and found both of their release. Gods, but she had a vivid imagination. He had meant to simply tempt her to change the direction of her thoughts. She had pushed him onto a dream bed and kissed him until he was aching and needy for her to touch him anywhere. When she had straddled him, he found his aching member meeting her bared flesh and found an urgency he had never known. She had trapped his cock between her lips and rocked until he had been gripping her hips and trying to enter her desperately.

Finally he couldn't take it a moment longer and lifted her onto him in one fluid motion that had both of them moaning in ecstasy. And within seconds she was bowing her back and screaming her release, bringing his own rushing out of him.

They had both slept after that. He shouldn't have kissed her. He regretted it nearly immediately. But her imaginings of him were almost worth it.

Almost.

He called for a coffee while he was getting dressed. The elf didn't appear, as usual. Veela were very territorial, it was not good to have them popping up around him until he marked Hermione. Just the thought of marking her made him groan to himself. _Soon._ He said to the Veela.

He had just taken his potion, so the Veela didn't have enough power to do anything. He sighed. He shouldn't have kissed her. She was panicking. Why was she panicking? Should he ask her? Should he apologize? Maybe he should apologize.

He tied his shoes.

How should he apologize? _Sorry, Hermione. Didn't mean to kiss you on your cheek. Lost control of the ol' Veela until the last second, no big deal, right buddy?_

Maybe there was another option. Maybe he ought to just act totally normal and then kiss her cheek in farewell today. Then she would know that it was just a goodbye and no more. Then she would relax. Should he ask her if that's alright?

He took a deep breath, realizing he was mirroring her emotions. The Veela instinct might have been suppressed, but it seemed their bond was growing stronger. He calmed his mind, and tried to send her calming emotions, as well.

He stood and grabbed a black wool pea coat to pull over his light sweater if it was chilly.

He stepped outside into a foggy pre-dawn. He was glad he didn't need his jacket. "Granger?" He called softly.

She materialized from the fog with a soft nervous smile on her face. She was wearing her normal workout clothes and because of the thin material, she was hugging herself slightly. "Here I am. Good morning," She said in greeting.

He smiled fondly at her and held out the jacket. "Here, put this on. I can't have you getting sick on my watch or Potter will have my head."

She thanked him, traded her coffee for the jacket, slipped it on, and took her coffee back. "Thanks again. I didn't think it would be this chilly," She said as they started walking. _See, Hermione? Total normal Draco. Well as you know him as an adult anyway. Freaked out about nothing._

"Sure, Granger. So, tell me about Harry's pregnancy. Has he started craving anything yet?"

She laughed softly. "Not yet. Hannah is only about eight weeks along. She won't start craving anything for about another month or so."

She told him about her close friendship with Hannah and how Harry was constantly pretending to be irritated for Hermione's knowledge of things before him. She had known Hannah through Harry, but never really got to know her well until they worked together on writing a textbook primer for incoming Hogwarts students, the year after Hermione graduated.

"I didn't know there even was such a thing," Draco said at this point.

"There wasn't until we wrote one. Imagine being a child like me who is told they're magical but not any real information about our world until the week before school starts."

"I actually never even thought of it," he said, frowning.

"Exactly. Most people don't. Because there's so few muggleborn students by comparison, no one really thinks about what might make their transition easier."

"That's a very interesting thought. What if we had the muggleborn children meet with a magical family to acclimate?" Draco asked, thinking aloud.

She looked at him, excited, "That would be a great program, Draco!" She put a hand on his arm, "Maybe we can get a grant to start the program next year!"

"I can do better. My mother would likely love to start the program with some of her socialite friends. Let me owl her and see what she thinks." They were rounding the black lake surrounded by the thick fog. The world seemed to end about six feet in front of them, but for Draco, watching Hermione light up as she spoke about something she was so passionate about, the rest of the world might as well not exist.

"Oh, that's right, your mother asked if I wanted to have tea with her one day."

 _That meddling shrew._ "That would be lovely I imagine." He said mildly.

"Do you?" She looked at him, her anxiety showing on her face.

Draco sighed, looking into the swirling fog for a way to explain it all to her. "Granger, you must understand. They were threatened and bullied into the cause of that idiot. So was I, as you know from my trial."

"I know but…" She looked into the fog.

He touched her shoulder, stopping her. "There are no buts Hermione. They made their choice to save their lives, me, and their reputations. The Pureblooded mania served their own ends in the beginning and before they realized how bad it would be, it was too late. When they tried to leave, they were tortured. It was the same for many people in the death eaters' ranks."

Hermione was looking at him intensely, listening to him. She had expected this conversation eventually, but it seemed like he was opening up a lot faster than she had predicted. She decided to push her luck, "Even you?" she asked, bravely.

He sighed. "Yes Granger. Even me. There are secrets in my family that have to be protected. There are things you don't know and won't know for a long time." A breeze started to blow, making the fog dance around them. "I'm not saying forgive them just like that, I don't know if you'll ever forgive them, but you have to remember there is a lot about the bad side of the war that you don't know about."

She stepped closer to him, but if it was because of the chilly breeze or because of something else, neither of them knew. "But I will. One day you'll tell me."

He grimaced, "Let's hope I'll never get the urge."

She grinned, "I'll get you drunk and you'll tell me."

"Mental note, never accept drinks from Hermione Granger." He said with a soft smile. "Come along Granger," He said abruptly, catching himself before he tried to kiss her again. "It's getting chillier. I believe it may rain soon." He placed a hand on her lower back and propelled her into a walk again.

"Your avoidance techniques leave something to be desired, Malfoy," Hermione said cheekily. A few minutes passed in companionable silence before Hermione tried taking a drink of her coffee. She made a face. "Ugh, it's gone cold."

"The Great Hermione Granger didn't think to put a stasis charm on her coffee?" Draco needled, chuckling.

"I know, I'm a disappointment to Wizarding kind. But I'm sure you'll let me have a sip of yours, won't you?" She asked, looking at him with a pout.

"What?" He sipped his coffee, "Why would I ever do that?"

She bit her lip, "Because… because we're friends?"

He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing and drew his eyebrows together. "I'm not sure that means I need to share my coffee with you. Maybe get you a fresh cup or warm up your current cup but…" He took a sip, "This cup is the most perfect one I've ever had so…"

She stepped in front of him, stopping his walking. She put a hand on his chest and looked up at him with the saddest expression on her face, "Please Draco?"

His brain froze, all the blood in his body suddenly pooling in his pants. If she noticed his dilated eyes or his sudden rigidity, she didn't say anything. He realized his hand was giving her his coffee when she broke eye contact and took it from him. She grinned at him, said, "Thanks Malfoy," and she took a sip.

His eyes watched her lips as they wrapped around the opening, when she took the cup away, he watched her swallow, barely holding himself in place. When she licked her lips afterward, she looked at him in amazement. "That is the best cup I've ever had," She sounded… husky.

Had he released pheromones?

Oh gods, his saliva.

She licked her lips again and went to take another sip. He took the cup back before she got another dose of his saliva.

It was designed to make his mate want him to kiss her over and over again, especially when one of them was aroused. He was embarrassingly hard, and her having another sip would just make her desperate for him without knowing _why._ He couldn't take that from her. Especially without her consent. The sharing of saliva the first time was supposed to be the first step in the marking process.

This was an unfair way to introduce his particular brand of Magic to her. Maybe it wasn't enough to trigger the old magic but the way she was looking at him, playful and flirtatious, made him need to kiss her. But he couldn't.

This was so wrong and messed up.

His guilt somewhat shook him out of his daze. What finished the job was a sudden pouring rain dousing the both of them. _Thank the gods_ he thought. Before he had done something stupid like snog her right here next to the Black Lake.

She startled him by laughing. "Come on Draco, I can't have Harry killing you of I get sick!" She said, starting to run back to the castle. "I'll race you!"

He started running after her, laughing and trying to ignore the predatory part of himself wanting to catch her and mark her and… he shook his head. "You're supposed to tell me we are racing _before_ you take off!" He shouted at her.

His longer legs and Veela enhanced muscles made catching her easy. He ran next to her, pulled her ponytail, passed her, and made it up the steps into the entry hall with plenty of time to spare.

Hermione was more tired than she realized. Once Draco passed her, she slowed to a jog, confused why she felt so… well aroused. Her knees felt weak, even. She had never even felt this type of arousal. Normally, when Hermione got the urge to masturbate, it was in response to her menstrual cycle or stress. She honestly couldn't imagine why her body was acting like this. She hadn't even been thinking of anything sexual! Her lips felt weird and tingly like she wanted to kiss someone. Which in the current way her heart felt, that someone would be Draco. She licked her lips again, tasting that wonderful coffee and maybe of she imagined hard enough, what it would taste like to kiss Draco.

She really needed to get rid of this annoying crush on Malfoy. It was apparently messing with her hormones. There wasn't anything she could do with him, he was _gay_. He would never be able to return her feelings. She was just needlessly attracted to him.

He was walking back toward her when she took longer than a few seconds, realizing how stupid it was to run like that in this dense fog.

"Are you ok, Granger?" He called as soon as he saw her.

She laughed and slowed to a walk, "I'm fine. Just more tired than I thought. I need to have your coffee recipe, so I can be as spry as you."

"Ah, it's just superior genetics Granger."

She burst out laughing. "Superior genetics? Really?"

He cast a drying charm and then a warming charm on her once they were out of the rain, then said, "Come on. Let's get you some more coffee."

A/N: This scene continues in the next chapter, it would have been all one chapter but it's just so much dialogue! I hope you guys like this chapter! Don't worry, the cute train will continue for a little longer. Thanks for every follow, favorite, and comment!


	6. A cup of coffee or a cup of coffffee?

She went to give him his jacket back, he shook his head. "Wear it for a while so you stay warm," he said.

They were entering the great hall where there was only McGonagall and two students already at breakfast. "That's not how colds work, Malfoy."

He gave her a sardonic grin, "And yet you'll wear the jacket to prove to Potter that you haven't come to harm in my presence."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine, Draco. I'm sure it looks better on me anyway."

Without answering, they came to the teachers' table where Draco paused and pulled her chair out for her politely. Before she could move forward to take her seat, he stopped her. He looked at her, from head to foot, with such intensity Hermione was pretty sure she could literally feel his eyes on her. _Damn, but this crush is strong._ He said, "I believe it looks better on me. But only marginally."

She laughed and smacked him on the arm, then sat in the proffered chair. "You're such a ponce Malfoy," she said, laughing. Not blushing like the virgin she was. Definitely not tingling with arousal at his evaluation.

"I needn't take this abuse from someone like you, Granger. Keep this up and I won't even grace you with my presence at breakfast."

She looked up at him, feigning shock, "Draco! Have you read my diary? Having you at my breakfast table is my only wish in life!" She immediately caught the double entenderé and wished she had phrased that better.

"Oh, juicy gossip, Granger," He said chuckling. He wondered if she caught that she could have been seen to have been flirting with him just then.

She rolled her eyes and asked, "So will you sit? Maybe I can convince you to make me a cup of coffee like yours?"

He sat, chuckling. "Yes, of course, I live to serve my lady Granger. In return, will you finally tell me about this party we are to go to? Should I dress in Muggle attire? How casual?"

She blushed. "Sorry, yes I ought to tell you. Did I mention it's tomorrow?" She was looking at him through her lashes while folding the too long sleeves up her wrists so

she could use her hands.

He scoffed, "No, you said this weekend but you didn't say on Friday."

"Sorry. Yes, casual, and muggle. You seem to have appropriate attire?" She gestured to his sweater. "I mean pair something like that sweater with some jeans and you're golden."

"Alright. Am I meant to bring a gift or cigars or anything?"

She laughed, "Cigars would likely go over fabulously with the men. But you don't need to, oh thank you," He had handed her a prepared coffee. She finally clued into how long it had taken him when she noted the cream on top and sinful aroma. "How did you do that- oh God and it smells so good!"

She hastily took a sip and he nearly regretted having made it so well when she moaned.

He stomped on the urge to let her arouse him in such close proximity. His pheromones would likely have her jumping on top of him and the observers be damned. He locked the sound in his mind for later examination.

She opened her eyes, swiped her little pink tongue across the foam on her lip, and looked at him in such a way he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop _himself_ from jumping on her and the observers be damned. "You really must show me how to make this. Sorry I lost my train of thought what was your question?"

He cleared his throat, "Should I bring a gift?" He supplied, noticing how rough his voice sounded. He served himself some breakfast to have something to focus on that _wasn't_ her perfect pink lips.

"Oh that's right," She snapped her fingers, apparently not noticing his voice. "No, you really don't need to. But if you feel like you really _want_ to, just remember that Harry is supposed to be giving up alcohol and smoke is bad for the baby."

He nodded, getting himself under control. "Fine. Should I be worried about any of your Gryffindors trying to murder me while we are there?"

She paled, "Yeah about that…" She took another sip of coffee. "You remember how Ronald and I dated for a while and then, you know, very publicly broke up while we were in college?"

"Of course. You were very upset. You disturbed my studying, if you'll remember," Draco answered, meaning to sound haughty to make it clear it was a joke.

Hermione missed his joking manner and blushed, "Yes, well. Ron made sure he disrupted _my_ studying that year. Anyway, he's recently gotten it in his head that he wants to get back in a relationship with me again."

Draco scoffed and willed himself not to react more than that. If his potion had been wearing off when she said that, he likely would have transformed, marked her, and gone to kill Weasley in a fit of jealous Veela rage.

She nodded, "My thoughts exactly. He just doesn't seem to get the hint I'm not interested."

"Why, Granger. Did you invite me to this party to get your ex boyfriend off your back?" Draco purred, leaning closer to her, putting an arm on her chair comfortably, and smirking when she blushed.

"No! Of course not!"

He chuckled, "Well, I'm sure it will work, regardless of your intentions. He'll see you as tainted by my awful influence and never want to speak to you again," He tucked a curl behind her ear.

She gaped at him then snapped, "I never even thought of it! Honestly Draco, what must you think of me? To believe I would _use_ you that way?"

He watched her flush climb down into his jacket with a satisfied expression. Her scent increased with her anger, he discovered. It had been a long time since he had made her angry and a twisted part of him loved her irate glare. "Oh I'd have thought very highly of you, had that been the case."

She looked at him sharply, expecting him to be making fun of her, but he looked serious. "Why would that make you think highly of me?" She asked, uncertain what to say. Uncertain what to feel.

"Mornin, Hermione," Harry Potter said as he sat on the other side, apparently just barely awake. He poured himself a coffee and scratched his morning stubble while yawning. Draco was almost impressed he could do it all at once. He took this opportunity to butter a biscuit and layer some bacon on it. Then he added a tomato and a bit of egg, making his favorite morning meal from his days ruling the Slytherin table.

"Oh! Good morning Harry," Hermione answered, startled by his sudden appearance. "Sleep well?"

Harry was adding cream to his coffee and grunted in response. _Potter is not a morning person,_ Draco thought, taking a bite of his bacon filled biscuit.

Hermione turned back toward Draco, "That reminds me, did either of you think of any reasons why I might have fainted last night?"

"I've a few ideas I'm going to chase down during my free period today," Draco drawled, fixing himself a fresh cup of coffee.

Hermione was watching what he was doing with his hands as Draco spoke, noticing how well formed his long fingers were for the first time.

He wiggled his fingers when he caught her staring and smirked when she blushed and looked away. "Harry, what about you?"

"Got a few leads, too. M'gnna look into 'em 'n' lechu know," Harry slurred before taking a throat scorchingly long drink of his coffee.

Hermione nodded and took a few pieces of toast and put some jam on them. "I've got some ideas of my own. So maybe we can figure it out today." She took a bite gingerly.

Harry was beginning to wake up and so was piling sausages and eggs onto his plate.

"Just toast for you, Granger?" Draco asked conversationally.

She smiled shyly at him, "My stomach is sensitive in the morning. Don't worry, I didn't faint from not eating."

He chuckled. "Just eliminating possibilities," Draco said. _No breakfast in bed, got it_ , Draco thought.

"I really didn't invite you to get Ronald angry, you know," Hermione said quietly after a few moments and just as Draco took a large bite of his food. He tried to chew faster but she continued before he could finish his bite, "Harry mentioned that we don't really know you well, so I thought it a good excuse to get to know you in an informal setting. I've only ever seen you in school or… well technically only at school and school related events. Have you ever even been to Muggle London?"

He answered, "Yes, a few times."

"Good, then it won't all come as a shock to you." She answered with a smile.

Draco looked further up the table when he felt someone was looking at him and saw the bespeckled headmistress giving him a sly smile. He idly thought of her mentioning the betrothal of himself and the witch in front of him. He wondered if he ought to contact a jeweler and have a new engagement ring made or use an heirloom. Hermione was very interested in old things with history. So probably an heirloom.

He rolled his eyes while turning back and shaking his head. Ignoring his mate while she was speaking was very rude. Hermione was chattering on adorably about how much she was looking forward to seeing her old friends and the Weasley brood when Draco felt the Veela start to stir within him. There was no reason for it, his potion should be still active.

There was a slimy feeling deep in his chest which signalled the beast was awake. He took a deep breath through his nose. The smells of food should have calmed him, but he couldn't focus on anything but the unique smell of Granger overwhelming him. He felt the strange swollen feeling in his eyes meaning his eyes were likely glowing silver.

Before he could excuse himself, Hermione looked at him and trailed off of her sentence. Her eyes were slightly glazed and pupils dilated. "Draco, do you smell that? Oh god, what is it…?" Her voice husky and breathy in arousal, seemingly caught before a moan.

The Veela roared within him, sensing her suddenly aroused state and wanting to satisfy her immediately. The world around them disappeared and Draco was desperately clinging to the last vestiges of control before the Veela overpowered him. "Hermione," He whispered, lovingly, desperate to touch her. "I… I have to go. There's…" She bit her lip and he lost his thought, gained it again and finished, "Hermione there's something I need to do." He said, trying to pretend the hand on his leg under the table was his imagination. He stood, feeling the warm little hand fall off him as she stared dumbly at him. He needed to go- to get away to- not yet. Just not yet. The Veela couldn't do it here.

"Draco," She whispered, sounding desperate, not caring because of how suddenly she needed him. There wasn't a cohesive thought in her mind except the need to press herself against him and just _please anything to relieve this ache._ She pressed her knees together, making the ache worse.

Draco turned and walked swiftly away. He was berating himself for almost letting the Veela win. He could feel the aching, tearing, _heartbreaking_ internal wails of the Veela. He forced himself to keep walking.

Hermione came back to her senses a moment later with a hot rush of shame. _Why_ had she so suddenly become aroused? Was there something wrong with her? First the fit of sadness and now this? Was she losing her mind? _Maybe I ought to speak to someone about this. A female. Madam Pomfrey? Minerva? Ginny? Hannah? Ginny. Ginny knows more about the female anatomy than anyone I know._

"What was that all about, Hermione?" Harry asked, sounding more awake. "Is Malfoy alright?"

"I'm not really sure. Do we want to meet later today to go over why I might have fainted theories?" She asked, distracted.

Harry nodded and yawned widely.

"I'm… I'm going to go change and get ready for classes, Harry. I'll see you after lunch in the library, ok?"

He grunted in response and Hermione stood to get to her room on wobbly knees. The soft material of her clothing rubbing against her suddenly sensitive body nearly driving her spare as she crossed the room. Random images swirled through her head as she headed to her room.

Draco was already in his own rooms, frantically trying to find a reason for his sudden inability to control himself. He was flipping through an old family Veela book when he swore he felt a hand wrapping around his hip.

Growling, he turned, only to find no one there. The sensation of a soft hand trailing down his stomach was next and he nearly fell when his knees buckled. He could feel a strange texture on his thumb and had to sit down when he realised it must be Hermione. She was actively fantasizing about him.

 _Oh gods_ he thought and gave in, closing his eyes.

Her imagination had her naked above him, straddling his waist and his hand on a breast, thumb circling her nipple teasingly. _Draco please_ she whispered, rocking her hips against his clothed form.

The vision was so clear that Draco reached out for her while sitting in his chair. He growled in frustration when his hands met the empty air instead of her soft body. He opened his eyes and ran his hands through his hair in anger. _Gods why did I not just tell her this morning…_ his thought was interrupted by his own desperate groan when he felt her soft touches running up his thighs and brushing against the straining bulge in his pants. He closed his eyes again and the scene had changed.

Hermione was imagining kissing him hard and desperate, she was pushed against a door with her legs wrapped around his waist and grinding against him, moaning while he cupped her breast in one hand and her bottom in the other. In her imagination his fingers were teasing against her opening from behind and she was rubbing her clit against his hardness unabashedly.

Draco bit his lip and without opening his eyes found his zipper, unable to resist her fantasies any longer. He hissed through his teeth when he released the pressure.

Hermione had barely made it to her room before her body began clenching and making her arch in desire. When she closed the door behind her she found herself imagining Draco pushing her up against it roughly and lifting her to allow her to wrap her legs around his waist. The pulse of arousal from deep within her was so strong, she nearly cried out.

While making her way to her room, she had not been able to stop the images running through her mind, every one of them with Draco's face and body. At first, she couldn't find it in herself to feel guilty about it. This fantasy, though, was so vivid she could smell his cologne.

She went to remove her clothes so she could just orgasm and get it out of her system, she found his jacket blocking her hands and shuddered when she realized the cologne smell was from the jacket. She ran her hands down her body over the jacket, trying to imagine what it would feel like to be desired as much as she desired Draco.

The memory of telling Harry that Draco was gay popped into her head, uninvited, and Hermione's desire suddenly vanished. Draco was her friend and it was seriously wrong to be wanting him like this.

She took the jacket off with purpose and hung it up on the hook by the door. She felt very sad, but she really needed to get over this crush, not keep feeding into it by fantasizing about him. She sighed and went to shower and change clothes.

Draco was past being able to stop pumping his erection, but found himself unable to achieve orgasm. He had been on the edge of orgasm for more than a quarter of an hour and felt like he was going insane. Granger had inexplicably stopped fantasizing about him and the arousal he had felt through their bond was now overwhelmed by something like guilt and sadness.

He took his hand off himself and tried valiantly to will the damned thing to deflate. He closed his eyes and tried focusing on anything that didn't have anything to do with Granger. Problem was, the Veela was battling for dominance and wanted to use the hard cock to deflower his mate immediately.

Draco stood and worked his swollen cock back into his trousers, just to give himself something to focus on. Each accidental brush against his trousers or his hand was a tortuous pleasure.

He was angry with her for starting something that she couldn't finish, even while berating himself for being angry about something so irrational. She had no idea he knew exactly what she was fantasizing about, so it was unfair to blame her for it. He sat back down and rested his head back for a few minutes, meditating and talking the Veela back down.

Tomorrow, he would tell her. After the party. She needed to know. Maybe he would leave out the bond part. Just for the sake of her pride. He wouldn't want her to know that he had been privy to all her dirty little mind could invent while aroused. He felt an interested pulse from his cock when he thought about her naughty little fantasies but he tried to ignore it.

The Veela needed to be under control. He had a free first period, but he still had the rest of the day filled with classes. It would not do well to have the girls of the class all distracted by his pheromones and the boys all ready to fight for the same reasons. He idly thought what would happen to the homosexual boys and girls in his classes, if there were any, if they were to be exposed to the Veela pheromones.

He also needed to be able to talk to her coherently. He hated to admit it, but he might just need to go talk to that great oaf Hagrid. He might know a better strategy than just relying on his potion which was increasingly losing its potency as the Veela surged unpredictably in Hermione's presence.

Sighing dramatically, Draco stood gingerly, noting that while the erection had (finally) gone away he had a horrible sensitivity in his balls.

Hagrid had only afternoon classes, so Draco ought to be able to just show up unannounced. It wasn't like Hagrid had perfect manners. He probably wouldn't even know that it was rude of Draco to drop by unannounced.

A/N: Guys you all are awesome. Thanks for all the follows and favorites and especially for all the reviews! I love hearing what y'all think!


	7. Relax

After her shower, Hermione finally got her stupid hormones under control, so by the time she started her first lecture of the day she was completely composed. She had decided to wear a cream turtleneck sweater and a pair of trousers that were a lovely shade of brown for that day and she felt both professional and feminine in the outfit. She had also braided her hair loosely in an effort to get rid of the annoying frizziness that came with the fog and subsequent humidity.

She was annoying herself with her super upbeat narrative running through her head, but it kept her busy so she wouldn't start thinking too much about the ever more annoying crush on Draco Malfoy.

Tomorrow they would go on their not-date and afterward she would keep their contact to a more comfortable distance. Then she would get over her stupid crush on her gay friend and everything would be fine.

"The siege lasted an entire decade before the castle was finally demolished and every last member of the family in the castle killed. On page 423 of your text you can find more information about that family and what happened afterward if you're interested. David, please stop passing notes to Bri. And before class ends I want you all to copy down the assignment on the board here. Don't groan, it's only the first essay of the year, and depending on how well you all do it can be either the first of many or the first of few. So do a very good job and we won't have so many assignments, understood?"

Her mouth spoke but she was hardly listening to what she was saying.

She had just remembered that she had meant to look into Veela in case Harry needed information.

She went to her desk as she finished speaking and wrote on her calender to look today after lunch while she met with Harry. He was always late, so she could probably check out a few books and pack them in her bag before he even arrived. Tomorrow she had only morning classes so she could look into it more before the party.

As the class left, she finished tidying up and left to go to the owlry with a letter for Ginny in her hand.

She had written to Ginny, explaining that she must speak with her in the afternoon before the party tomorrow. Ginny being… well Ginny, she would probably know a thing or two about the issue with Draco. Ginny knew more about sex than anyone Hermione knew. It stood to reason that she might know why Hermione was lusting after Draco so much and- more importantly- so suddenly. Then at least one mystery might be solved.

 _Maybe she won't do anything but laugh and tell me I've just gotten my first crush and it isn't such a big deal. Is this how crushes feel when you're in your 20's? I never felt like this with Ron or even Viktor. Definitely not with anyone else, either. Well, even if she does just laugh at me, it'll be good to see Ginny anyway._

The halls were full of hurrying people and shouting children. It made Hermione feel a bit better to be surrounded by so much that didn't involve her.

When she stepped through the doors to get to the owlry she was looking up at the low grey clouds promising more rain. Her distraction made her slip on the stair and she would have landed head first in the mud, had two strong arms not caught her and roughly put her back on her feet. Worried grey eyes met hers and she sighed. "Thanks Draco."

He smirked, releasing his hold once she had her balance again. "I told you. I can't have you being hurt on my watch or Potter will kill me."

She smiled, looking away, "Were you just sending something?"

"I was. I'll venture a deduction that you are about to send something yourself," He answered with a smirk.

"Dear lord, Holmes, how did you do that?" She put her hand over her heart in feigned shock.

"Who's Holmes?" Draco asked looking puzzled.

Hermione laughed. "Sherlock Holmes. He's a Muggle character. I have a book about him, I'll let you borrow it."

"Sherlock? What kind of a name is Sherlock?"

"Says the guy named after a constellation."

"Says the girl named after a tertiary character in the Iliad."

"At least my name comes from the daughter of Helen and not the wild imaginings of long dead poets," She answered snarkily.

"We're both named after wild imaginings of long dead poets," He deadpanned.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh. Good point."

He looked her up and down with a frown plastered on his face, "You're going all the way up there without a jacket? Again? Are you trying to get me killed?" He crossed his arms in mock sternness.

"What? No! I'm just going to run up there and give my owl this letter and be right back inside!"

"You're doing a piss job of it whilst standing here verbally sparring with me."

"Well, honestly Draco, someone has to knock you off your imaginary pillar every once in a while, else you'll get a sunburn and lose all that hard won paleness."

He chuckled, "Ooh, Granger's not pulling punches today."

She laughed, "Yes I'm sorry, that one did come out a bit harsh."

He pulled out a glove from his pocket and transfigured it into a jacket for her.

"I don't-"

"Take it, Granger. It's cold up there. I haven't time to argue, I've a class," he said, holding out the jacket which perfectly complemented the brown of her pants.

 _Of course it does. Let's just throw it in my face that he's perfect for me and also has perfect fashion sense, but absolutely no interest in anyone of my gender much less me,_ she thought. "How can you be rude while being polite?" She asked as she took the jacket and stuck out her tongue at him.

"It's a Malfoy trait."

She rolled her eyes, "Superior genetics? Really?"

"Of course, Granger. I'll see you later," He said while bowing and grabbing her hand. He gently placed a kiss on the back of her hand, gave her a rogue grin, and then passed by her to go back inside.

Hermione's heart was beating wildly before she even made it to the steep staircase of the owlry. She stepped into the doorway and leaned against the cold and damp stone for a moment, just letting the feeling happen. She was blushing, she could feel that.

 _I really need an outside opinion on this._

Draco's morning had been unfortunately unsuccessful. Hagrid had no insight whatsoever on Veela. Not to mention the worst tea service Draco had ever experienced. Draco was fairly certain that the scones Hagrid tried feeding him were actually rocks and the now white haired half giant just couldn't tell the difference.

All he had to say on the matter was to just let nature run its course and everything would be fine. Hagrid did not know who Draco's mate was or even that Draco was asking for himself, so possibly that had affected his advice. _Jean must have kept her trap shut, thank the gods._

After that failed attempt at figuring out what might be making him lose control so rapidly, he decided to owl his parents to make sure they wouldn't try showing up again if he didn't keep them up to date.

His mother would want to know he was planning to tell Hermione the following day and to prepare the customary acceptance ritual for the family. Technically, they were betrothed, but they would also be married after he marked her. Once she accepted him as Veela, he had a fortnight to mark her.

While he was thinking about all of the preparation his mother would likely have to do and wondering if she was ready to do so much so soon after having been released, he suddenly had a feeling that Hermione was in danger.

He suddenly caught her just as fast. He had been at the top of the steps and he wasn't really sure how he got to the entrance to the castle so quickly, but he was sure that Hermione smelled amazing and she was safe.

He had to resist the urges within him, but, he discovered it was actually easier if he was more like himself and not quite so controlled. The Veela seemed to not fight so hard against him if he wasn't smashing all his desires down. So he just went with it. Their natural humors melded together and Draco was quite well pleased with his Veela's choice in mate for the millionth time.

After he left her, he found himself licking his lips repeatedly, tasting the barest hint of the flavor of her skin.

For all the time he had spent that morning desperately pining for her, he- for some reason- felt fine once more. The Veela was sleeping peacefully within him and he had a solid plan for how to tell Hermione about this whole business. He even knew which jewelry set he would give her as a wedding gift. Perhaps Hagrid had helped more than Draco realized.

When lunch came around, Draco was detained by an overeager third year student who wanted more details on the upcoming year. They walked into the great hall together, finishing their conversation before going their separate ways.

He saw that Hermione was speaking to Harry Potter amiably and on her other side sat another teacher. _Guess I'm off to eat alone._ He thought as he walked to the open seat nearest him.

He had been famished when he walked in, but now, without his mate nearby, he felt sad and lonely. He sighed and forced himself to select a cold cut sandwich and some soup. Nothing looked particularly appetizing, but nothing would unless it was paired with the soft scent of his mate.

Sighing again, he pulled out the book he had been perusing between classes to try to pass the time. He charmed it to float at a comfortable distance and read while he ate and ignored his misery.

The empty chair next to him was pulled out and he looked up to find Hermione sitting next to him. "You look awfully miserable. Has the esteemed Draco Malfoy fallen into the Potion Master's natural grumpiness so soon into the new year?"

He smirked, "No, I'm just naturally dour."

She laughed, "No you're not. Have you finished eating? Harry and I were going to meet in the library to talk theories of why I fainted."

He was finished eating, but what would actually make him feel satisfied would be anything that had her involved in it. He looked down to ensure he hadn't made a mess anyway and answered, "As it happens I am finished."

She stood smoothly and smirked at him in an unconscious mimic of his own trademark and said, "Well, come along then Malfoy. I've got some research to do before Harry gets there anyway."

He stood and pushed their chairs in. Then he gestured for her to precede him. After they exited the great hall, Hermione pulled his glove from her pocket and handed it to him. "Thanks for that, by the way. It really was colder up there than I had thought."

"You're welcome. Someone ought to be looking out for you, else you're likely to freeze to death one day."

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'm sure. Anyway, Harry is still eating so he'll be a little while. Do you want to help me research?"

"I suppose. What are you interested in?"

"Veela," She answered, then was distracted by an amorous couple snogging in a corner. It was just as well because Draco had lost the ability to keep walking. While she told the couple off for breaking school rules and administering the house points deductions, Draco was having a potential heart attack.

 _Why is she interested in Veela? She doesn't know what I am unless someone told her and even if someone HAD told her why in the world would she be asking ME to help her research it?_

 _No._

 _Wait._

 _She doesn't know what I am._

 _Calm down._

 _Wait._

 _She wouldn't be so calm about this if she knew what I am._

 _She must be interested for some other reason._

 _Breathe Draco._

 _Should I tell her what I know? No, she would just want to know how I know so much and I can't exactly tell her in the middle of a school day._

 _Calm._

 _Breathe._

Hermione was finished and dismissing the students when he finished his miniature panic. He decided this worked with his plan to tell her. After all, she did need to understand what she was getting into, and regardless of why she was looking into it, this was how he could start helping her to understand. He just needed to very carefully not lie to her.

"Draco? Are you alright?" Hermione asked when she came back to him.

He frowned, "Yes, it's just such a strange topic for you to be interested in suddenly. I'm waiting for a reason why."

"Oh, no big deal, just Harry was reading a book on them and I figured it must be for a class, so if he needs help I just want to be prepared is all." She shrugged, then looked at him more closely. "Why? Do you know why Harry is looking into them?"

He scoffed and gestured for them to resume walking. "Of course. Veela are very interesting. I've done some research on them myself."

She lit up in excitement and grabbed his arm, "Really?" She asked, looking at him while they walked.

"Of course. There are many interests of mine which may surprise you," _Like a certain bushy haired little bookworm that I would give anything to see smile every day of my life._ "Including, if you can believe it, history of Magic as well as history of Muggles."

She flushed, "You're joking."

He scoffed, "Of course not. You remember how I let you study near me in college don't you? Didn't you ever wonder why I was studying so many of the same books and in so many of your classes?"

She frowned, "Well I had just assumed it was part of your course load…"

"Why would history of Magic be part of the Potions Masters courses?" He asked, honestly confused how her normally logical mind could have missed this.

"Well, some of my coursework contained Potions classes, so I just assumed…"

"Granger, I stayed an extra year because I am dual certified to teach my classes and your classes," _So I can help you when you're pregnant with our children._

"You took a double course load?" She asked, startled.

He nodded, still looking straight ahead.

"Wait. You mean you could have beaten me in all our classes but didn't because you had too many classes?"

He laughed, "Your mind works in mysterious ways, little Hermione. Yes. I actually do hold more degrees and certifications than you, though I do not- at present- have any authorship claims for noble causes as you do."

"But… why?" She asked, utterly flabbergasted. Did he just mean to be better than her?

"Because I could, and so I did. There really wasn't anything else to it."

"Well, I'm certified through a Muggle university to teach Classics in Muggle colleges, so boo." She said, sticking her tongue out and making a face at him.

He laughed quietly as they entered the library. "Well then I suppose you've won then. Does it appease your apparently hyper competitive nature?"

She raised her nose, haughtily, and said, "Of course it does, you uncultured swine. Now show me where I should find books on Veela so I can learn yet more about the world."

Draco was covering his mouth to stifle the chuckles and ducking into the rows of books so Madam Pince wouldn't find them making more noise than pages turning and breathing.

Hermione followed with a wide grin, proud of herself for getting Mr. Stoicism himself, Draco Malfoy to be silly with her for a moment.

He was acting a bit strange today. Hilarious one minute and closed off the next. Hermione was perplexed by his behavior, but she figured he would either snap out of it or tell her the reason eventually. She was fairly certain that it had something to do with his parents. Maybe they wanted him to get married. She wondered if his parents knew he was gay. He said they were getting their wish so maybe he had to marry someone he didn't want to marry?

She frowned as she followed him, unsure what it must be like to be him. To be the only heir to such a powerful family name such as Malfoy but have no ability to choose who he might want to marry because his sexuality was what it was.

She also wondered, not for the first time, if his sexuality had been why he was such a jerk when they were younger. That kind of pressure must manifest in some way, and she knew that in some kids meanness was how it came out. _Maybe it contributed to it, but it certainly doesn't excuse it._

Draco was slowing in front of her, trailing his long fingers along the spines in a way that made Hermione slightly jealous of the books. _Gods, but his hands are lovely._

"Oh, here. It's a wonder you haven't read this whole library, Granger. There's a whole shelf up here devoted to Veela."

His height allowed him to see the books clearly, but Hermione's shorter frame made her unable to see but half of the titles on the top shelf. She stood on her tiptoes to try to see the titles and promptly stumbled into Draco. He chuckled and helped her right herself with a hand on her hip. "I can't see them," She whined, pouting up at him.

He smirked. "Well-"

"What are you two doing over here? I thought we were meeting in the teachers section?" Harry interrupted, his voice sounding tight.

"Oh I was just interested in something," Hermione answered, blushing furiously.

Draco looked between them and realized how utterly horrid they were at keeping things from one another. "Yes, well, now that you know where they are, let's go to our brainstorming, shall we?" He supplied, smoothly.

A/N: Hey, thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! This story is a lot of fun to write! I'm starting on Chapter 10 which is (finally) the day of the party. Update schedule is going to stay on Tuesdays and Fridays just so I have a buffer in case life comes up.


	8. Speaking of Veelas

"Oh don't be ridiculous. Of course Harry didn't poison me."

"Yeah, I'm not _that_ bad of a cook, and anyway I only actually made the tea!"

"Well, what other options could it have been? There aren't any new ghosts, no one has cursed you, you're not sick- though if you keep carrying about without a jacket, you will be soon-"

"Not how colds work, Draco!"

"Regardless, that only really leaves poison!"

"What about magical creatures? We have not even begun to discuss it because you keep changing the subject when it comes up, don't think I haven't noticed!"

"Could it be your menstrual? You have been more snarky than normal…."

"No Harry it was _NOT_ because of my menstrual cycle!" She was blushing. "Honestly, what is it with males and believing that the female reproductive system is so mysterious? It's so much less complex than even magic, you tosser!" Her eyes flew wide and she slapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry I insulted you."

Harry waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. I probably crossed a line."

"Well, we are all getting way too heated about this," Draco said, calmly.

"Yeah… now that you mention it, why are we getting so angry?" Harry said suddenly. "Wait… I don't feel angry I feel…. Threatened?"

Hermione tilted her head in thought, "I feel… I don't know… like I'm unsafe… so maybe threatened, too? I don't know what the feeling is. It doesn't really even make much sense..."

Shit. Draco had gotten angry and probably released some kind of pheromone related to his own anger. They were probably reacting to it because they were enclosed in a small room. "Why don't we take a break and get some fresh air?" He suggested looking meaningfully at Harry, hoping he got the message.

Harry frowned and then nodded, "Malfoy, I would like to speak with you, if I may."

Draco looked at Harry with first surprise and then his own frown. _Potter said he wouldn't interfere. He wouldn't break his word so soon, would he?_ He nodded in answer, gesturing for Harry to precede him through the door.

Hermione took this as an opportunity to sneak back to the Veela books, hoping to grab a few before resuming their conversation. There was still nearly an hour before any of them had a class, so she was certain she had time to grab a few books and at least have Madam Pince send them to Hermione's room.

Harry watched Hermione walk off into the library, concerned. "C'mon, let's go to the kitchens. Hermione likes a tea before class and I could go for one as well."

Draco felt a tightening in his chest, "That seems like awfully personal knowledge to have," He said testily.

Harry looked back and rolled his eyes at the blond. "Of course it is, I've been her best friend for almost a dozen years. She's a creature of routine. I'm married, remember? Plus, ew, she's like my sister."

The band around his chest loosened. Draco was mildly annoyed at himself for being even slightly jealous of Potter and Hermione's relationship. Potter was an ally in this wasn't he? "Blame the Veela," Draco said dismissively.

"Yes, I plan to," Harry answered, leveling a glare at Draco. He stopped in a mostly unused hallway a moment later. "Look, we need to talk about what you're putting her through."

Draco sighed and leaned against the cool stones lining the wall. "Alright, what is it, Potter?"

"What is it? You think I don't know why she passed out? Your parents were here yesterday, weren't they?"

Draco frowned, not following the man's wild rhetoric. "They were, but I don't see-"

"They asked her to tea. She just told me at lunch. So I take it you told them who your mate was, am I right?"

Draco's lips thinned to a line and he frowned harder at the shorter man. "Yes."

"So after they left you felt like shit, right?"

"They often have that effect on me, yes." Draco answered blandly, trying not to hate Potter. His defenses were up because Hermione was in a questionable position.

"Are you being deliberately dense just to make me more angry than I already am or what?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "No. I am aware of why she fainted. I am aware that it is my fault. I am waiting for you to get to the point."

"The point, you tosser," Potter snarled, "Is that you have hurt her by your inaction. _You_ did it to her. _You_ have put her in danger. What did I say to you? I will tell her if you hurt her, remember that? You've hurt her!"

Draco sighed wearily and slouched more on the wall, "I know. But, listen, Potter. I didn't realize how strong the bond was. You think this isn't hurting me too?"

"I don't care about you, I care about her." Harry answered savagely.

Draco took a deep breath, "I know, Potter. I know that I don't deserve her- which is what you're really trying to say. I get it. I know that I am being cowardly," His voice caught on the last word and he had to take a moment, to look away from the angry green eyes and gather himself. "I can't just tell her in the middle of a school day, can I? Think for a minute Potter."

"Listen, Malfoy-" Harry started, still angry. He was calming though, knowing that Malfoy was probably as upset about this as Harry himself, helped.

Draco grabbed the shorter man and pushed him into the wall behind him. "No, _you_ listen you fucking idiot. I'm trying to tell you that your threats are useless, I have already planned on telling her. I'm waiting until tomorrow when I can have some time with her to explain things, alright? Merlin's sweaty nutsack, Potter," He let go of Harry and took a step back, shaking in his anger. "You bloody Gryffindors never think do you? What did you want me to do? Walk up to her right now and tell her so she only has a quarter of an hour to ask me questions and then she has to go back to classes? Think about how much that would-"

"What, hurt her?" Harry asked, eyes flashing dangerously. He was starting to understand Malfoy's logic, but that didn't make it any easier to accept, and he _definitely_ didn't appreciate being pushed around by this idiot. He kept himself from fighting, though, because he did not want to find out exactly how razor sharp Malfoy talons were.

"Drive her batty, I was going to say." Draco straightened his robes, pointedly. He took a few deep breaths and made himself calm down. "I'm sorry that I pushed you. Have I hurt you at all?"

Harry still looked angry, but he was making an effort to compose himself. "Of course not." He starightened his own clothing and ran an agitated hand through his hair. Finally he said, "I see your point, much as I hate to admit it. You really need to control yourself until tomorrow. Earlier today was another thing I was going to speak to you about."

Draco looked at Harry uncomfortably.

"I'm not a morning person," Harry continued, "But I know what a woman looks like when she's… erm... " He wrinkled his nose, "Aroused."

Draco cleared his throat awkwardly. "Right. Sorry for putting you through that. It was a fluke… it was abnormal."

"It wasn't." Harry said nodding to Draco so they would continue to the kitchens.

Draco frowned, at this rate, it would take up permanent residence on his face. He drawled, "I'm sure you'll elaborate this century."

Harry continued, still a bit angry, "Your potion won't save you once you decide when to tell her. The Veela will act in the best interest of the two of you. See, Hermione's fighting her attraction to you. It might do you well to limit contact until tomorrow, just in case." He made a quick decision not to tell Malfoy _why_ she was fighting it. _Let him figure it out on his own since he thinks he's so smart, the arrogant bastard._

Draco looked at Potter sharply, "She _is_ attracted to me then?"

Harry scoffed, "'Course she is. You're smart, rich, thoughtful, and handsome," Suddenly, he realized that this would be incredibly fun to watch. Malfoy was not even wondering why she would fight it, _probably thinks he knows exactly why._

Draco preened mentally. He was smiling and relaxed for the first time since he last spoke to Hermione. "Sorry to disappoint Potter, but I don't swing your way."

"Oh _I_ know that," Harry said, smugly. He tickled the pear to open the doors to the kitchens and went inside.

Draco was frowning again. Something seemed off about how Potter had just said that but then he was distracted by the kitchens.

Draco had never seen the huge kitchens under Hogwarts, nor so many elves in one place. Shouts in squeaky voices and loud pots banging assaulted his ears and a sinful aroma of several desserts cooking all at once caressed his nose. It was hot in here too, but Potter seemed not to be bothered by it, he was calmly speaking to a possibly female elf who was setting a tea tray.

"This is Draco, but the way, Peri," Harry said as Draco entered the kitchens fully.

The little elf's eyes got bigger and she made a strange 'eep' noise.

Draco sighed, "It's alright. I'm in your territory. I'm a guest, right?" He said calmly.

The elf nodded slowly, then resumed her task, looking at Draco wearily.

Harry looked between them, confused.

Draco told him, "The elves all know that I'm Veela. Veela are territorial, you know. So they've been warned to stay out of my quarters until they're told different."

Harry cooked his head to the side, "Interesting. But it doesn't bother you to be in their area?"

"It does a little, but as they should all know I'm no threat it should be ok."

"But Peri…?"

Draco waved a hand dismissively, "They're naturally afraid of Veela. Well, of most other creatures really. Veela don't really start trouble though, we're more defensive. She knows that. I think she was just a little startled."

Harry nodded. "Will you let me do a study on you one day as an anonymous Veela for a class?"

Draco thought. "Let me think on it, Potter."

Harry nodded again. He took the tray from Periwinkle and told her thanks before the pair of them headed back to the library.

Madam Pince glared at them dramatically, but as they were teachers she wouldn't do anything.

Draco put a charm on the set so the smells of the biscuits and tea wouldn't fill the library and Harry carried the tray back to their cramped teacher's lounge. Hermione was there, writing in a little journal.

"Tea?" Harry said as he entered.

"Yes, please. Sorry I'm just working on next week's schedule. Just talk amongst yourselves for a few minutes. I'll just be a moment," She answered without looking up.

Draco and Harry looked at one another for a second before scowling and each of them pulling a book and reading while they drank their tea.

A knock on the door broke the silence a few seconds in. It turned out to be a student wishing to speak to Draco for a moment and had seen him just enter.

In the absence of the blond, Harry asked, "Are you sure he's gay, Hermione? I've been giving it some thought and…" He trailed off, uncertain of how to continue.

Hermione put her pen down, frowning. "I told you I looked into it, didn't I? I told you about how my roommate told me about the rumor of him being gay and me spending a long period of time watching him? Listen Harry, you're married and _you've_ looked at more women than he did the whole time we were in college. He spent a lot of time watching men, though, and looking entirely predatory." She gave him a meaningful look. "I'm sure he's gay."

Harry frowned, only now realizing what it might mean if he came to her to tell her about his Veela. Would she feel betrayed? She was opening up to Malfoy because she felt she could trust him. "I know you're brilliant and all, Hermione, but… sometimes you _are_ wrong. You know that, right?"

"You don't think he's gay?" She asked in a whisper. Hoping and yet hating herself for hoping.

"I'm just not so sure. Maybe he was just more absorbed in studying than you gave him credit for? Is that possible?"

That was an interesting thought. "Well, then why would he have spent so much time looking at men?" She said hesitantly. Then picked up her pen again to have something to fiddle with while she thought. "It's possible he's not. I guess… I guess I will look at the facts again. Ginny should help me sort through it."

"I suppose, but do you really expect to be able to talk to her at the party?"

"No she's coming to the castle before. I'll talk to her about it while we are getting ready." She nodded to herself and began taking notes in her book again.

A few seconds passed and Draco re-entered the room quietly, looked between the pair, and reseated himself. He picked up his book and continued to read.

Hermione looked up a moment later and rolled her eyes at the two men who were steadfastly ignoring one another's existence. "Now then," She said quietly. "The only thing we haven't ruled out is some kind of creature."

Draco put his book down and looked at her when she began speaking. "Right, but without some kind of physical evidence it's pointless to even think about."

Harry cleared his throat and said, "He does have a point, you know. There weren't any clues left where you were found. I checked twice."

Hermione sighed, disappointed. "Then I guess we won't be able to solve it today."

Harry grinned crookedly, "Have we ever solved something in one day?"

Hermione laughed and poured herself a tea. "You're right. We have a few minutes until I have class. What shall we talk about then?"

Harry and Draco looked at each other with wide eyes. "I don't think we have much to talk about," Harry said stiffly.

"Except maybe Quidditch, but I don't think Hermione would be interested," Draco finished.

"You two are such bores. How about this, since Harry is having a child.. no wait." It wouldn't do to bring up children with Malfoy of all people, though that might be a way to figure out if he weren't gay. But maybe that should just be between them. "How about… hmm. Now I see what you mean."

Draco smirked. Watching Hermione try to figure out a problem was adorable. "How are classes going for you, Potter?" He asked.

Harry looked surprised, "They're fine. There's a third year Ravenclaw with some serious organization issues."

Together, Hermione and Draco said, "Stephen Johnston," Then they looked at each other and laughed.

"That's him," Harry said, grinning. "How much more clear can I make my schedule to avoid this kind of… badgering?"

Hermione laughed again, "I think he just has anxiety issues and talking to us makes him feel better. I mean, have you seen my schedule? There is _no_ way I could make it clearer," She said and then glanced at her watch. Grimacing, she took a last drink of her tea and then stood, saying, "Looks like it's time to head back to my classroom."

They all stood and called for an elf to grab the tray. It popped out of sight without the elf appearing and Hermione frowned slightly, apparently confused why the little thing hadn't shown itself. Draco didn't want her thinking too far into it yet so he said, "What time do you want to meet to go to this party, Granger? I forgot to ask."

"Oh, how about 7 o'clock? At the entrance hall? Harry is leaving early, so it'll just be you and I apparating from Hogsmeade. Do you mind walking or shall I arrange a-"

"Walking is fine, Granger." Draco answered... Maybe a little too quickly. Harry snorted and covered it by pretending to sneeze.

"OK. Oh and it's my night for patrol, so I think I'll skip on my run. You probably ought to sleep in, Draco. It's meant to keep raining until late tomorrow morning according to the muggles."

"I've always been an early riser, Granger. Not sure I can sleep in."

They had come to the entrance to the library. She looked at Draco for a split second with an indescribable emotion on her face and then said, "I'll see you boys later." On a whim, she blew them both a kiss and walked toward her class.

Harry nudged Draco and gave him a knowing smirk. Quietly, he said, "Think that was meant for you, mate. See you."

Draco felt a funny warmth in his chest and realized he was grinning like an idiot. Luckily, there weren't any students around to see him acting like a lovesick fool. He cleared his throat and headed to his classroom. He needed to prepare for his next class. Maybe Potter was right. Maybe he would keep a little distance until the party tomorrow.

A/N: You guys, I just checked this morning and this story is now officially my most popular story ever! I'm glad you all seem to like it! Thanks for all the love!


	9. A Stuffy Affair

The afternoon classes passed smoothly and Draco was pleased with himself. He had kept himself firmly on topic the whole afternoon with barely a thought for Hermione other than to think of how cute she was when she blew that kiss at him.

He finally realized that it was easier because he knew Hermione was attracted to him. When Potter had told him, Draco had given in and reached through their bond to verify her feelings and there they were. Draco had been trying to ignore the bond since she had teased him through it, not wanting to push her into thinking of him, or more importantly make her aware of the bond in the middle of a school day. Luckily, she had been already thinking of him when he had reached out and she had been actively thinking about her attraction to him.

Just before dinner, he received a message from his parents that they wished for him to visit them at the Manor for dinner. Groaning, he wrote back an acceptance.

He wondered if he ought to tell Hermione where he was off to or… no that was silly. She wouldn't worry about where he was. She had many other things to be thinking about. If she did, though, it would only make her more acutely aware of her feelings for him. He smirked when he realized that.

He did send a message to the Headmistress as was his duty.

He headed for the front entrance a few minutes later after changing into appropriate attire. Maybe he would by chance run into her on the way out.

* * *

Hermione had a frustrating day. Two of her students had broken into a fist fight in the first class after lunch and a bunch of rowdy first years had decided to gang up on her in the following class. She did _not_ feel like going to the dining hall, but she had talked herself into it to not seem defeated.

She met Harry at their usual spot near the stairs leading to the entrance and great halls.

Harry was in the middle of scolding a student for having a Weasley product on school grounds. Hermione slowly walked down the stairs to give Harry a chance to finish and then catch up with her. Draco and Hermione missed seeing each other by those extra seconds.

Hermione and Harry had a nice uneventful dinner together and they chatted with Neville for the first time since the year started. Hermione looked around for Draco several times but never did find him. The thought of him eating alone bothered her for some reason. When she had spoken to him at lunch, he had just looked _so_ miserable. Maybe he was just lonely. She also wanted to figure out if he were gay or not, and of course appease the crush's desire to see him.

Her heart seemed to be stretched across her chest at the thought that he might not be gay, just as it had been since Harry brought it up. If he wasn't, then that meant he… well he might have been flirting with her a lot over the last few days. Things that she had decided to overlook because she believed him to be gay. But if he wasn't…

* * *

Draco's dinner with his parents was a stuffy affair. The Manor was clean and brightly lit, but somehow had such a stale air. It smelled of stillness and sorrow. Tears and torment.

His mother had lit several candles with scents to them to try to cover up the smells, but Draco could still smell it as soon as he entered the front gate.

His parents grilled him on the first days of classes to warm up for the grilling of his plans for Hermione.

"Now, tell us of your mate, Draco, I've been ever so curious." Narcissa said in her best tea room voice. Both of his parents noticed how he seemed to relax as soon as his thoughts turned to his mate and they shared a quick knowing glance at each other.

"She's quite amazing. Truely. She's written a primer book for the incoming muggleborn children. As it happens, mother, I wanted to speak with you about it. What do you think about having muggleborn children meet with some of the Pureblooded families before their first year to help them acclimate?"

"Why, that's a wonderful idea. It might even work toward some of our community service. Some of my friends still have some time left on that because it's just so difficult to find a kind of service fitted to a Lady."

"I thought so too." Draco answered, smiling fondly. "Hermione was going to ask for funding but I thought we might fund it ourselves?"

"Yes. That sounds quite appropriate." Lucius inserted. "We will work toward getting the details set up with our lawyers and make a press announcement in," He calculated, "Approximately a month."

"Lovely. Oh, I can't wait," Narcissa said, smiling happily. "Once this goes public, and with your upcoming marriage, why, our reputations will be repaired in no time."

Draco frowned, remembering how much he hated all this talk of reputations. It had always made him so nervous to not live up to the Malfoy name. "Well, I suppose that will be one benefit," He said instead of voicing his inner thoughts. The dessert course appeared on the table and Draco longed to be done already so he could go back to the castle and be near his mate again.

"Draco, darling, have you thought about what you'll say to her?" Narcissa asked.

"I've a few ideas, but Hermione is not exactly the type of bird to be predictable."

Lucius snorted, "Certainly, she is not."

"Potter has mentioned that she is fighting her attraction to me though, so I don't think it will be too difficult."

His mother smiled. "Wonderful. Do you foresee any issues we might be able to assist you with, darling?"

Draco looked to his mother in surprise. Offering help? That was odd. "Not specifically. Would you like to discuss the acceptance ritual?"

"Oh, it's already ready. The elves here know how to set it all up and the old spells and ritual are written in the Lady Malfoy book. I was thinking of bringing in some fresh roses in a lovely cream if it wouldn't bother you, dear."

"White, if you please."

"Indeed?"

Draco nodded, uncomfortable with his parents thinking Hermione wouldn't be a virgin. What they must think of her that they covered with the right words to keep him believing she was approved by them. What exactly did they know about her? He frowned, how much did _he_ know about her? He couldn't name her favorite color or flower. He didn't know what her aspirations were. How many children would she want and how would they raise them? Draco was plagued with doubts all over again. "How well did you two know each other before you were married?"

His mother looked surprised at the sudden change in topic. "We were friendly, but not really friends. Lucius travelled in different circles from myself. Of course we are not truly mates, though. Lucius and I do not have enough Veela heritage ourselves to ever know who our mate might have been."

Draco nodded, knowing this already. The only reason he had enough Veela to identify his mate was because their combined heritage added up in him. His mother and father only knew what to expect because of private lessons in their childhood and a journal passed to each Lord and Lady Malfoy. Draco wondered if Hermione would want to see it or if it would simply repulse her.

"Your mother has always been lovely, and wonderfully clever, of course, but in our youth I wouldn't have chosen her." Lucius said blandly.

Narcissa looked at her husband fondly, "Nor I you, my love. Our parents made the match as it was beneficial for both our houses of course. That's the old way."

Lucius nodded and looked at Draco sharply, "You must remember that although we never had to go through the mating process, it is still much the same as what you're going through."

Draco frowned thinking it was possibly the most foolish thing his father had ever said. Of course it wasn't the same. They only knew a little of what he was going through.

Narcissa was smiling at him though, noticing his frown. "The Veela in you doesn't just make it all simple. You _know_ exactly who will make you happiest, and yet you'll face hardships. You _know_ you'll never have to fear infidelity, and yet you'll be jealous. You _know_ that you will be happy, and yet you'll find yourself sad from time to time. In marriage we _never know_ when or even _if_ those things will happen. You might be happy together, or you might spend your life hating each other. The fear of failure is in every day, despite all your precautions."

Lucius took her hand across the table and Narcissa continued, "In your own way, you're lucky. Love is a sweet poison, my son. Love is the same no matter the circumstances. It will always be the thing to kill you, and yet it's the one thing for which all of us fight for the chance to have. And it is in the same breath, I would tell you that you're correct in saying it's a curse to be Veela. If love is a sweet poison, you're the one who is doomed to extreme sensitivity to its effects. You'll feel each sting of anger more acutely than anyone. Each tear of pain, whether it be in childbirth or because of a stubbed toe, will be a dagger to the heart. You're doomed to the happiest life you can imagine. Yet I think neither you, nor us, nor even Miss Granger would have it any other way once the dust settles."

Draco found his voice rough and a tear that needed to be blinked back when he answered, "I hear you, mother. It was beautifully said."

Narcissa smirked, "Of course. I _have_ had some time recently to think quite deeply about the matter."

Draco snorted in surprise at her joke.

"Now if all this too serious talk hasn't put you off your appetite, I've made sure to have that apple pie you've always loved so made just for you."

Draco smiled softly, loving his mother more than he ever had before.

The serious talk died down and Lucius spoke to Draco about their business matters over a brandy in the lounge before Draco apparated back to Hogsmeade.

He felt better than he had in a long time as he walked through the rainy evening back to the castle. It was very chilly but he'd cast warming spells on his coat and he had also made sure to cast water repelling charms before beginning his journey.

He wondered what he would do with his evening. Later in the school year, he expected to have more to do, as he would be grading as well as making sure Hermione didn't overtax herself and making sure they had time together.

He spent the walk imagining cuddling by the fire with Granger next to him and both of them drinking their tea while reading their books, just enjoying each others company.

When he made it to the entrance hall, it was already nearing curfew for the students.

He pulled open the front door and stepped inside, shaking out his coat to make sure he wouldn't be tracking in too much water.

He glanced around and saw no one about. He started to head to his rooms but decided to quickly run to the library to grab a fresh book beforehand.

He turned around and headed toward the library at a quick pace, simply focused on the task and not really paying attention to much around him.

"Draco?" Came the voice of an angel barreling through his thoughts.

He lifted his head and there she was. Smiling at him. Glad to see him. Draco sipped the poison and knew he was doomed. "Hey Granger," He answered, so smooth he could barely stand not jumping himself. What in the world was she doing out so late, and nearer to his rooms than her own? Was she… looking for him?

"What are you doing? Are you going somewhere?" She asked after a momentary look over of him.

He finally caught up to her and stood near her, trying not to look awkward and fairly certain he was failing miserably at it. "My parents wanted to see me for dinner. I've just come back," He answered, unsure if he should lean on the wall and feign nonchalance. Deciding against it, he continued, "I was just headed to the library before retiring for the evening. Would you like to join me?"

She laughed, "I see being with your parents makes you turn stuffy," She took his arm formally and said, "Why yes, I would simply _adore_ joining you in the library, for you see, I was on the way there myself before my patrol started."

Of course, she had told him she was skipping her run in the morning because of her patrol tonight. He could smack himself for even being confused what she was doing. "Lovely," he said as dryly as he possibly could. "It's horrible weather out. I'm rather considering your advice to sleep in tomorrow."

"I was a little worried you would run, to be honest. I've… well… to be honest Draco, I've been worrying about you a little bit today. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

He didn't deserve this. He would never be a good enough person to deserve her concern. And yet here she was gracing him with it, regardless. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean. You're spending your time worrying about a monster like me?" He heard himself saying and wanted to vomit. That wasn't him, it was the Veela. The Veela had just taken over while Draco had been distracted but he couldn't think of a way out of it before Hermione started… laughing?

"Of course I worry about you. You're my friend, regardless of your monster tendencies. I can't quite put my finger on it, but you seem off today. Well, more off than you normally are, at any rate." He thought back over the day, trying to figure out what she was referring to. Before he could think of anything, she continued, "Of course you are an odd duck but," She bit her lip, thinking. "I think maybe it's because you're opening up and I'm just not used to it. Maybe that's all it is." Lowering her voice she added, "I do often over think things, you know," As though it were a secret. The Veela purred in contentment, her simple words signalling to the Veela that she was indeed vested in his well being and taking another step toward the marking ritual.

He laughed, trying to sound natural. "I've noticed. Perhaps it's just that I'm a bit stressed. Nothing that I can't handle, but… well with my parents being released, the new school year, and our new friendship, why it would be normal to be stressed, wouldn't it?"

She thought it over for a moment. "I suppose it would be stressful." She said, nodding. She rubbed his arm soothingly and then asked, "Oh, and speaking of stress how were your afternoon classes?" She sensed she might have pushed too far and he was uncomfortable. She would let him find his own level of comfort.

"Ordinary. Dreadfully boring, if I'm to be honest." He looked down at her then asked, "I take it yours was not boring, however. What happened?"

She wrinkled her nose and said, "Do you have fifth year double Gryffindor and Slytherin like we used to?"

He thought to his schedule and answered, "No, why?"

"Some people just have all the luck," She groaned dramatically. "Two boys in that year got into a fist fight today in class," Draco tensed and Hermione felt it, thinking it endearing that he was concerned for her. _Mr. Stoicism himself actually does have feelings, imagine that._ "Everything was fine, I immobilized them and made them talk it out after class but I'm certain that won't be the end of it."

"What were they fighting about?" Draco asked, the calmness in his voice surprising himself. He was both afraid for her and angry at himself for not being able to protect her at all times.

"Some girl, oldest story in the world. The girl is friendly with both of them and they both have a crush on her, but she's not interested in either."

Draco snorted with all the grace of a Pureblooded aristocrat. "Why is it always over a girl?" He asked disdainfully.

Hermione grinned, "I know about as much about it as you do." They had arrived at the library and Madam Pince glared a hole through Draco but smiled thinly at Hermione.

Madam Pince pointed at the wall clock showing five minutes remaining until she closed the doors at 10. Hermione apologized and promised for both of them that they would be in and out. Mentally, Hermione also added his nonresponse to the 'gay' pile of facts in her head.

Draco grabbed a random book in the muggle literature section and handed it to Pince with a scowl to match hers. He waited by the door for Hermione who came back with three books and a pleasant smile. She asked Pince to send the books to her room and made sure to wave goodbye.

Once they left, Pince slammed the doors behind them and they heard the clicking of the locks. Draco rolled his eyes, "How can you get along with that shrew?" He asked.

Hermione blushed and laughed through her hands, "Oh my gosh Draco she'll hear you!"

"I don't know how she could hate me more than she already does." He shrugged.

Hermione pulled him by the arm to get him walking and glanced at the book he was carrying. "Oh. Pride and Prejudice, what a good book. It's one of my favorites. Miss Bennett is one of my favorite literary characters of all time."

"Oh? Well I'll make sure to finish it before tomorrow so you won't have to worry about spoiling any of it."

She looked horrified at the thought, "Draco, it's not exactly a short book. And there's so much nuance to it, you really ought not rush it! As it happens, it's one of the books which is best read aloud, you know. Take your time with it and tell me what you think as you go. I'm honestly interested in what you'll make of it all."

"Should I hire someone to read it for me like you have?"

She laughed, "I haven't hired someone, I just bought a recording. It's different."

They turned toward his rooms and Draco asked, "Why Granger, are you walking me to my door?"

"Oh, of course. I've got to make sure you make it back safely." She answered haughtily.

He chuckled, loving her all the more.

She looked up at him, smiling softly. "Harry and I are planning on getting takeout tomorrow with Ginny. Want to come?"

He shrugged, trying not to let his excitement show in his face at the privilege of spending more time with her. "Sure. What time?"

"Probably 6 or so. At my room, ok?"

They reached his door, he unlocked the door and looked at her for a moment. She was standing there, looking up at him so sweetly. He leaned in, cupping her shoulder gently and kissed her cheek again, not feeling bad. He whispered, "See you tomorrow, Granger," against her cheek.

Hermione's heart fluttered in her chest and she smiled shyly. "Goodnight Draco." She said softly before turning and floating to her rounds.

* * *

A/N: Guys, this story is a lot of fun to write, have I mentioned that? Thanks for all the reviews and follows and favorites!

I've gotten a review from a guest about chapter 5 that I should like to respond to real quick. Yes Draco is joking when he says "So, tell me about Harry's pregnancy. Has he started craving anything yet?" he's being a snarky man. Sometimes it's hard to get tone through text, I know.

Also Draco is trying desperately to not focus on the bond so he doesn't cross a line. He's constantly worrying about taking away Hermione's choice in the matter and he's realizing that by focusing on the bond, he's interfering with Hermione's thoughts and that it's not fair. We see that in this chapter, so I hope that clears it up.


	10. A Day With the Girls

Hermione spent most of her rounds thinking about whether Draco was gay. Finally she decided that if he was, he would tell her in time. But if he was not… well, as crazy as it sounded... it looked like he was possibly pursuing _her_ of all people. She couldn't decide if she was reading too far into it all or not, though, which left her exactly where she was before. Was it all wishful thinking on her part?

The only thing she was sure about was that Harry was right. She _was_ wrong sometimes. She thought about Descartes and wondered about the foundations of her beliefs. Once that thought hit, she laughed at herself and decided she was being entirely too serious about the matter.

If he was or if he wasn't, nothing was going to really change. She would still be his friend. If he was pursuing her romantically, well that was wonderful. If he was gay, then Ginny would help her figure out how to get over the crush, she was certain.

Once that was all decided, she just had to wonder what would happen at the party and whether Ronald would make a scene like last time. She just didn't want to deal with it. Ron was not worth the effort. She would probably have to talk with Harry about helping her break it to Ron that she was not his friend and hadn't been for a few years now. Again.

Once her rounds were over, she went to bed, exhausted. It was past midnight and she was immensely glad she had decided to skip her run. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning was just not fun after going to bed so late.

After celebrating being asked not only to the party with Hermione tomorrow but also to dinner beforehand, Draco planned out his classes to try to calm down. He was very excited and terrified for tomorrow.

The temptation to check on Hermione's mood through their bond was strong, but he just couldn't bear the guilt any more. It had begun to remind him of the remorseless Legilimency he had to endure at the hands of Voldemort. Once that connection was made, he decided it was not right to look into her thoughts for any reason. Not to mention that Draco believed his examining her through the bond was probably feeding into the Veela's powers and weakening his own magic.

So rather than obsessing yet more about the day to come, Draco planned out his clothes for the morning before showering and getting into his pajama pants. He never slept with a shirt on.

He decided to relax and read the book he'd checked out earlier before he retired for the evening.

He was immediately enthralled by the silly Bennett mother and sisters and their lovesick ways. Charmed by Elizabeth's sharp wit and suspicious of that Wickham bloke. When he met Mr. Darcy he had no idea what to think of him. Yet, he didn't have time to think much of him before midnight chimed. He looked up, startled at how fast the evening had passed. He laid down and dreamed of Hermione, just like every night.

Friday morning dawned rainy and dark. Draco actually slept until 7 for the first time since childhood. When he woke, he was still groggy and confused. He called for a coffee and drank it before getting out of bed. He was a bit more confused when he found his slippers partly across the room, but thought he had likely gone to the bathroom in the night and just didn't remember.

He washed his face and felt a bit more awake. Gods, but he was tired.

He dressed and made his way to the great hall for breakfast. He brought Pride and Prejudice with him in case he had to sit alone again.

Hermione was already there and looking tired as well. She was by herself and drinking coffee. Her hair was up in a cute ponytail and she was wearing a milky pink cardigan. He approached her and she saw him just before he reached her. She gave him a small tired smile.

"Want some company, Granger?" He asked, uncertain.

"Sure, Draco." She said nodding. "But only if you'll make me your coffee? What do you say?"

He smirked, "Oh I suppose I could be persuaded. You look tired, if you'll forgive me for saying. Was it so bad being on patrol last night?" He said, sitting next to her and starting on making her coffee.

 _Draco looks so tired, I can almost feel his exhaustion adding to my own. That doesn't even make sense, Hermione. Get it together_. She yawned. "Not too bad, but I couldn't fall asleep afterward. I just couldn't relax. You look tired too, did you not sleep well?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe not. I don't remember waking up, but I've felt so exhausted this morning."

He handed her the coffee and she thanked him. They talked for a while about Pride and Prejudice and Hermione was impressed with his grasp of some of the finer points of the story so far.

When they parted for classes, Hermione told him she would be with Ginny for the afternoon, so she wouldn't be at lunch. He told her he understood and hoped that she would have a pleasant day.

For Draco, the day passed slowly and too fast at the same time. Even while he tried to ignore the sheer terror of knowing he would be telling his mate tonight, the doomed feeling of imminent rejection weighed heavily on his heart. He knew Hermione well enough to expect she would accept him out of duty, but he hoped that maybe, just maybe, she might understand how hard he had worked to give her a choice.

Lunch was spent by himself. He was lonely and brooded over Pride and Prejudice in his office with a sandwich and some more soup. He made a rare decision to have some more coffee with lunch, as he was feeling more tired as the hours passed. He really must not have slept well. It was strange that he couldn't remember very well, but he couldn't find a time to worry about it with his upcoming … nuptials.

He was stressed and haggard by the time his last class ended at 2 in the afternoon. It was truly exhausting to keep the students on topic because some popular girl had fainted in the hallway during lunch and no one could focus. He decided to lay down for a nap before dressing and meeting Hermione for the long anticipated dinner and then party.

Hermione met Ginny in Hogsmeade after her last class of the day. They had decided to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a bit of lunch before they would look around for some clothing. While they waited for their food, Ginny said, "Alright, spill. What's got you worked up so much?"

Hermione laughed, "You'll likely think I'm being stupid."

Ginny grinned crookedly, "I'm fairly certain you're incapable of stupidity."

Hermione sighed and told Ginny everything. Her college suspicions that Draco was gay, her study into the blond's behavior, the subsequent belief that he was gay.

The food came and while they ate, Hermione told her about the suspicions of a secret boyfriend in school and still apparent brokenhearted actions of Draco from time to time. Ginny listened, not interrupting at all.

Then Hermione told Ginny all about the first week of classes, of running with Draco, and the sudden easy friendship they had developed. They paid and sat at the table while Hermione finished telling Ginny about her suspicions about Draco's parents forcing him to get married and how Mrs. Malfoy had asked Hermione to tea.

Ginny's formerly impassive listening face frowned at this point. Hermione paused, expecting Ginny to have something to add, but Ginny waved her hand in an unmistakable 'go on' gesture. So Hermione continued by telling Ginny about asking Draco to the party as friends and the subsequent kiss on the cheek, the morning walk in the fog, and finally about the strength of her crush.

"So what you're really wondering is if he's gay or not." Ginny said, summing it all up. "Because if he is, you need to get over the crush and if he's not, then you need to decide if he's worth pursuing, have I got that right?"

"Yes," Hermione said, sighing.

"Well, he's not gay."

Hermione looked at her friend sharply and asked, "How could you possibly know that?"

"Well …" Ginny hesitated. "Because he's engaged."

Hermione stared at Ginny, her eyes wide in confusion. "What." She finally said when Ginny made no move to explain.

"Yeah, so," Ginny fidgeted. "You remember Oliver? Oliver Wood from school?" Hermione nodded, "Well, I've… I've been seeing him. Uh. I… well, Hermione he's proposed."

Hermione gasped and automatically said, "Oh, Ginny congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah, I am too. Thanks." She was smiling and showed Hermione her new ring, letting her fawn over her excitement for a few minutes before Ginny said, "Ok but wait there was a reason I had to tell you like that and not, you know any other of the ten thousand different ways I _wanted_ to tell you."

"O….Kay, go on," Hermione said, sitting back and waiting.

"I had to go to the hall of records to notify them of the betrothal. It's part of the process, you remember?" Hermione nodded, so Ginny continued, "Well I was flipping through the book they have there to record it, there's a special one for Pureblood families, even now if you can believe it," Hermione made a face and Ginny laughed, "Yeah, I know. My thought exactly. But so I was flipping through it to get to the 'W' and I just happened to have opened the page on 'M' and Malfoy's name was in there. It was just a passing glance but I know it was in there. I remember wanting to look at it but the wizard behind the desk was giving me this weird look so I just kept flipping, you know?"

"When did you go do that?"

"Like… the day before yesterday? Ollie just proposed on Sunday and I was going to tell you and Harry tonight. I mean I really didn't want to take away from his baby but I really don't get to see you often and I just really wanted to tell you both in person, you know?"

Hermione nodded. "But don't old Pureblood families arrange marriages? It doesn't really prove he's not gay. I mean, he's been a bit upset since his parents visited and I thought that he was upset because his parents were forcing him to marry a woman."

Ginny bit her lip, looking a little worried, "Well, I guess that would make sense… but it seems awful silly to think he's gay because of a rumor Hermione. I mean you're doing that thing where you're taking the facts to prove your theory. What's it called?"

"...confirmation bias?"

"Yeah, that thing. You're not being… uh, objective. Even now, you're making the information fit your theory, not the other way around. Why would it be better for him to be gay?"

Hermione thought that was a silly question. "It wouldn't be better. If anything, the worst of all the options for me as a selfish person, would be for him to be gay. Maybe worse than him being engaged. It's just what I believed on the facts presented, is all."

"No, you believed the facts that proved a rumor. That's dumb. You're not dumb. Why would you be so willing to believe he's gay?"

Hermione snapped, "Because it's easier not to be attracted to him!" And then she realized what she said. After a second of thought, some of the pieces fell into place.

She had first heard the rumor while she was dating Ronald.

Ronald was always insanely jealous.

Did she make this rumor true to prove to Ron that she wasn't doing anything but studying with Draco?

"What does that even mean, Hermione? Why would it be easier not to be attracted to him?" Ginny inturrupted.

"I'm thinking. I'm trying to remember when I first heard about it… I think… I think it was when Ron was trying to accuse me of sleeping with everyone who wasn't him. Maybe I… maybe I looked for reasons for Draco to be gay to get Ron to stop accusing me of that? I can't remember for sure."

"Gods, Ron is the stupidest of all my relatives. Why is it so hard for him to understand you're waiting to be married?"

Hermione laughed, "I've no idea."

"Well, if Ron was accusing you of sleeping with people who weren't him, and you studied with Malfoy, then it would make sense for you to be interested in the rumor that Malfoy was gay," Ginny said, thoughtfully.

"I just don't know Ginny, I think I'll have to look in my old journals tomorrow to know for sure. I really can't remember why I was even so interested in the matter. It's not really like me to listen to rumors…"

"Yeah, and that's another thing. None of that adds up. Anyway, so to sum up, I don't think he's gay and your reasoning has- for like the first time ever- not convinced me. So where does _that_ leave you?" Ginny was practically squirming in delight.

Hermione sighed, "Well, honestly in the same boat I was before. If he's engaged like you said, then I'm still properly screwed. I've still got a huge crush on him, Ginny. A huge crush on a man who is engaged."

Ginny sighed as though all her dreams had just been spoiled. She sat back in the booth, dejected and frowning. "I guess you're right."

"What's the deal with arranged marriages anyway? I don't think I know anything about them," Hermione asked after a momentary pause.

"Oh, well, most Pureblood families arrange them so they can keep the aristocrat kind of lifestyle going. It's really just to keep lowly common folk like us from marrying above our station or love Potions from being used, you know, that kind of thing. I think the most common age to actually get married is somewhere between 23 to 25? I'm not sure. Most contracts are made as soon as the kids come of age, then they have 5 years to run wild and then come back to marry someone they probably don't like a whole lot. Mum is super against them." She laughed, "My grandpa tried to get mum married to some guy and she's got this hilarious story about how she got out of it. It's great."

"That sounds awful. I can't imagine marrying someone like that. Poor Draco."

Ginny shrugged, "He's probably known about it his whole life. He might not like it, but it's a way of life for his kind of people."

"So how do I get over the crush?"

Ginny laughed. "Best way I know is to just tell him, fuck him, and move on, but that's not really your way of doing things."

Hermione snorted, "No, it's not."

"Another possible solution would be to avoid him, but with you being his only friend, I don't see you doing that either."

"I don't think I'm his only friend, but I see your point."

"Well, then, seems like you just gotta wait for it to blow over. I can set you up with someone, if you think that would help?"

Hermione sighed, disappointed. She had been counting on Ginny to help. Now she was still screwed. "I think it's too strong right now. How about in a few weeks? Maybe it'll go away by then."

Ginny agreed, but privately thought Hermione was being overly positive on the matter. Ginny had not missed that Hermione had apparently been running from this crush for a few years now and now it had caught up with her. Hermione was stubborn and always determined to do things herself though, so Ginny felt her hands were tied. "I'll keep thinking about it while we shop, ok? Maybe something will come to me," Ginny said, gesturing for them to leave. On a hunch, Ginny also made the decision to watch Malfoy closely to see if maybe he actually did return Hermione's feelings.

The rest of the afternoon, the girls shopped for nothing in particular. Really they were just spending time together and enjoying the company of the other. When the sun started to set, they started the walk back to the castle together, still chatting amiably.

They ran into Harry Potter when they were walking to Hermione's room. Ginny suggested that Harry and Ginny should go get the food while Hermione put her things away and Hermione enthusiastically agreed.

"I have something to tell you," They both said as soon as Hermione was gone. They laughed and Harry said, "Please. Ladies first."

"We are going to have to watch out for Hermione tonight. I've got a seriously bad feeling about this Ron situation. He's thinking their soul mates or something now. Star-Crossed livers or some other thing. I'm beginning to get worried about his mental state." Ginny said seriously walking with him to the delivery Floo near the kitchens.

"I was going to suggest the same thing. He's going a little barmy, I think. She… told you, right? About Malfoy?"

"Yeah, and look, I don't think he's gay."

"I know he's not." Ginny looked at him, both startled and angry. He held up a hand to stop her from yelling. "I know. He's going to talk to her about it all tonight. She's got this crazy thing about him being gay and I've tried to get her to see reason, but…"

Together they said, "She's stubborn."

Ginny frowned, "Why hasn't he told her he's not gay? What's stopped him from asking her out on a real date? Is it because he's engaged?"

Harry sighed, weary. He knew Hermione and Draco were engaged, well, according to the ministry they were, but he had no idea how Ginny knew. Hopefully, she wouldn't tell Hermione. That would make everything a thousand times more complicated. "There's a lot to it. It's not my place to say, really."

"Harry Potter, you've let her wallow through this all by herself and haven't even told her he's not gay and you know it for sure?!" Ginny said in an angry whisper. "What the hell kind of friend are you?"

Harry sighed again, stressed. "You'll understand when everything comes out Ginny. I can't interfere. I swear I am actually being a good friend."

Ginny scoffed and crossed her arms, looking away in frustration. The light glinted off her engagement ring and Harry saw it. "What's that?" He asked, stupidly.

She looked at him and followed his gaze. "An engagement ring. You think you'd recognize it after being married yourself." She sighed and then looked at him apologetically. "I'm sure you're being a good friend. I'm just frustrated and defensive. I'm engaged to Oliver Wood."

Harry wrapped her in a bear hug and congratulated her. She told him about the relationship with Oliver while they picked up the food and when they reached Hermione's apartment again, they found a note saying she would be right back, she thought Malfoy might not remember where her room was so she was going to get him.

Ginny and Harry rolled their eyes at one another and each decided privately that Hermione was seriously dense sometimes. They set up the dinner and caught up with one another while they waited.

A/N: Well, there we go. Let's just get more complicated! Thanks for all the reviews and favorites and follows!

Also, if anyone is wondering 'Star-crossed livers' was a typo but it made me laugh _so_ hard I decided to leave it. Just pretend Ginny misheard it or even Ron misspoke it. It's funny to me.


	11. Building it all up

Draco had been tossing and turning restlessly in his bed for an hour. Exhausted but unable to sleep, he finally gave up and decided to do _something_ to get his energy out and didn't bother to put on a shirt.

He ended up in his hard won additional room, decorating it in a way he hoped Hermione would appreciate. He had already made sure to have electrical outlets put in so she could charge her electronics, but now he was changing the furniture and color scheme, adding bookcases and shelves for her belongings, enlarging the closet for her clothes. The overtaxing magic finally was too much and he had to stop.

He had known that his magic would be weakening by denying the Veela for as long as he had been, but it was speeding up much faster than he had anticipated. It would all come back and be even stronger once he and Hermione went through the marking ceremony. Of course, _hers_ would never actually weaken, but she would have a great increase of power in her magical core.

He sighed, wishing for the thousandth time that he could have been different in his childhood. That he could have been anything other than a racist asshole to her before he knew she was his mate. If he could have been, he would never have found himself in this predicament.

A clatter of wood called him out of his regret filled examination of the room and he found a pile of wood sitting in the corner with instructions on how to put something called a 'cat house' together. He frowned, unsure what this was. Who had sent it?

He picked up the instructions and a piece of parchment sailed to the floor from between the pages. Picking it up, he read:

 _Mr. Malfoy,_

 _I hope this finds you well. I'm becoming increasingly concerned about your case. Let me emphasise that although it is my opinion you should have acted sooner, you are only responsible for the following insofar as your inaction has caused. You are not in trouble, nor am I in any way angry with you, for I do understand your delay._

 _There have been several fights between boys and four girls have fainted over the last two days. After examining the students and all of the facts, Madam Pomfrey and I have determined the most likely reason for these occurrences is in response to your emotional turmoil. However, since I believe you will be rectifying this situation soon, I will simply say to continue with your plans._

 _Mr. Potter has informed me that you are planning to reveal yourself tonight, and once she accepts (for I truly believe that she will) I'm certain these instances will stop._

 _In the meantime, it may be advantageous for you to have a break from magic for a few hours. It may help to keep these types of instances from continuing throughout the school._

 _I've enclosed this cat house to give you something to focus on, in hopes that it will help you to both please your mate and calm yourself._

 _Let me reiterate, there is nothing you could have done except to act sooner. You've made your decision. These are the unfortunate but temporary effects of the decision you have made. None of the students have been seriously injured and none of the student body will ever know that it was related to anything other than close quarters and teenage angst._

 _Do try not to worry overmuch._

 _Good luck,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

Draco read the letter twice, expecting something to change. He couldn't possibly have caused so much turmoil as to cause fights to break out between students, could he? Surely not.

He remembered Hermione telling him two students had broken into a fight in her classroom. Remembered the whispering about one of the popular girls in the school fainting in his last class.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the cat house. He grimaced. He detested cats. Still frowning, he got to work building the damn thing, imagining that maybe after Hermione accepted him and he marked her, he might convince her to keep the cat in here.

While he worked he planned out how he would tell Granger about his heritage and only ask her to accept him tonight. He was physically more than ready to mark her, but she was likely not _emotionally_ ready. He had known that from the first.

When McGonagall had offered him the position, Draco had told her of his heritage and they had negotiated how Hermione was to live with Draco between the time of acceptance and marking. They couldn't live apart, as it would cause Draco to become quite ill to be separate from her for more than a few hours. So McGonagall and Draco had worked out how to extend the single apartment that was normally given to teachers into a double for the year. He had also insisted on having a larger kitchen so that in the days following the marking, they would not have to leave. He was concerned that Hermione would want to allow the bite to heal completely before going out in public.

He really didn't know exactly where the mark would be placed. Usually, it was on the neck, but sometimes it would be on the thigh or shoulder.

He finished hammering the last pad into place and checked the instructions. Now he needed to start putting the whole thing together. It looked like it would be as tall as him, if not taller once it was all put together, and for some reason this made Draco happy.

He wondered how long it would take for Hermione to be ready to allow him to mark her. He really wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. He had been waiting his whole life for her. He had only ever kissed one other girl in his life, and that experience was a mistake.

He had become violently ill afterward and poor Pansy had to wonder if she was really that bad of a kisser for almost an hour until he could compose himself enough to explain. Her designs to be the next Lady Malfoy had evaporated in a few minutes and she had agreed to keep her mouth shut for the sake of their friendship.

Of course he knew how to please a woman, as it was part of his private tutoring from his late teenage years… well in theory he knew how. The Veela instincts and their bond would take care of the rest… he hoped.

He shook his head in irritation. He was supposed to be planning how to tell her he was Veela not wondering if he would be sufficient in the bedroom.

The walk to Hogsmeade would be a bad time to say anything. Maybe once the party was in full swing he could pull her outside and just… let her know. No, of course not. That would be awful. Maybe it would be better if he told her on the way back?

What would he do if Weasley tried to start something? How would he control the Veela then?

Hermione was fully capable of taking care of herself, but he really needed to figure out how _not_ to transform if he tried putting his hands on her or something. Not to mention his weakening magic would make it difficult to protect her if anything got out of hand without transforming.

He hammered away and considered his options carefully. He heard the clock chime and realized it was time to head to Hermione's room for dinner. He smiled to himself and took some extra time to complete the project then clean up. As he was crossing to his own bedroom, there came a knock at the door.

Surprised, he went and opened the door. Hermione was there, smiling. "You're late for dinner, " She said. Then her eyes looked from his face to his bare chest and she blushed. "Sorry, I just thought…"

He crossed his arms, leaned against the doorframe, and waited, smirking at her.

She mentally shook herself and focused on his face, and definitely _not_ his bare chest. "I thought you… uh," It was _really_ hard to concentrate with all those muscles glaring at her. "I wasn't sure if you remembered where my room was at but I guess… uh… you're just busy?"

He looked at her for a moment, memorizing her flush and realizing that Potter was right, she was pretty obviously attracted to him. How had he missed that? "Sorry, I was just running late after working on a project. Please allow me to change. Would you like to come in?"

She smiled shyly, her blush fading. "Sure, I guess that would be ok." _What the hell, mouth, this is so improper!_ Hermione screamed at herself as she stepped over the threshold of his living quarters. "What? Ugh, your room is bigger than mine. No fair." Hermione said jokingly as she walked into the living space.

"Oh, is it?" Draco said, trying to figure out if she should wonder about it or if he should derail her thoughts.

"Yeah, and your kitchen is huge compared to mine!" She put her hands on her hips, pretending to be angry. "How come yours is so big?"

He had walked into his room, but heard her. He poked his head through the door and said with a smirk, "I negotiated, Granger."

She scoffed and went to his bookcase while he washed his hands and face then dressed quickly.

He was happy and stressed at the same time. She liked the sitting room at least. This was such a bad idea. Why had he invited her in? The whole place was covered in his pheromones and he really didn't want her to glance at the door to her room or need to use the restroom or… he took a deep breath, trying to get his emotions under control. He remembered what McGonagall had written, his tumultuous emotions were putting others in danger. He needed to be calm.

He sprayed his cologne absently and then walked out of his room. Hermione was sitting on the floor next to his coffee table with a large book open on top of the table. He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the nerves at how quickly she had made herself at home and the nearness she had come to seeing his personal journal and also the large collection of Veela books for reference. She only had a photo album of his childhood.

Wait.

"Draco, look at how cute you used to be!" She said giggling when she looked up and realized she was caught.

He scoffed, "Used to be?"

She grinned, "Well, I mean… you're mildly attractive of course, but you were such a cute little baby! Look at how fat your cheeks were!"

Draco smiled, feeling very happy. "Turn the page, I was fatter afterward."

Hermione looked up at him, shocked. Then she grinned devilishly and turned the page, laughing at all the baby rolls little Draco her favorite picture of the bunch, he was rolling around on the floor trying to grab his little toes but he was so fat he couldn't bend enough to reach them. At the end of the loop of the picture, little Draco gave up and flopped dramatically onto his back and started making little bubbles with his mouth. "Such a cute little kid you were!" She said, laughing. "How old were you here?"

"Two. Come along Granger, your friends will think the worst of me if we take much longer."

Hermione puzzled over what he meant by that while she stood. "Well I hope you like Chinese food, because that's what Harry ordered," She said, shrugging his last comment off. "Hey, how come you have an extra room?" She said when she noticed the door behind him.

Draco froze. _Shit_. "I told you. I negotiated. Come along now Granger."

She frowned at him, noticing that he had avoided her question in a charming way, but it was still avoiding it. Then she turned and went to the door, ignoring pang of sadness in her heart at the likelihood of that room being for his fiancee. She sighed as she opened the door and put the thought behind her. If she wasn't sure that she really needed to get over this crush before, she was now.

 _Tomorrow I can start the plan to keep him at a little bit of a distance and that should help. Stupid heart. Stupid head thinking he would be interested in me of all people._

Somehow Draco felt less exhausted than he had earlier, even without having taken a nap. Maybe the exhaustion was from pushing his weakening magic too far and that was all. McGonagall was probably right, so maybe he should use less magic.

"So how was your lunch with Weasley?" He asked as they walked.

"It was wonderful. She's engaged to Oliver Wood! I'm so happy for her, but if I'm to be honest I'm a bit surprised. She never really seemed interested in the whole marriage thing. Well, not after Harry anyway."

"What do you mean? I thought she and Potter broke up amicably?"

"They did, but… well Ginny always thought she would marry him. Once they realized they really weren't right for each other, Ginny decided maybe set relationships were really not for her either. So she's been experimenting… that makes it sound horrible. She's just been in more casual relationships, is what I mean. So because of that, I thought she intended to never get married, too."

Draco nodded, "It's a logical conclusion, given the facts. Wood always seemed like a good bloke. I'm sure they'll make each other happy."

She gave him a strange look, "Draco, are you like… secretly romantic? I thought all Malfoys hated all Weasleys?"

He snorted. "No. Just the ones who have no manners and no tact. Ginevra has always- what?"

Hermione had burst out laughing. "Just imagining what Ginny will do if she hears her full name come out of your mouth."

"What should I call her? Ginevra _is_ her name." He meant for that to come out as less haughty and definitely less like she had offended him, but there wasn't anything he could do to change the tone that had come out.

"I'm sorry I laughed. I actually don't know what you should call her. What were you saying?"

"It's fine, I'm not upset. I was saying that she's the least classless and mannerless of her siblings and so I don't have a problem with her."

Hermione felt a little bad. She had been a bit rude by laughing at him. "Well that's true. Though Percy has impeccable manners, to be sure."

"Oh, I had forgotten about that pinched little shit." Draco said, trying to keep a straight face. It was worth it when Hermione started laughing hard. She grabbed his arm to support herself because she was laughing so hard and Draco chuckled with her at his own joke.

They turned the corner toward her room and she gasped out between giggles, "Draco you're incorrigible."

He smirked, thinking of how beautiful she was in her joy. She went ahead of him to open the door.

Ginny and Harry were in the chairs surrounding the coffee table and playing a card game. When Hermione came closer, she saw it was Harry's favorite Muggle game, gin rummy.

"Finally," The bespeckled savior of the Wizarding world said in an irritated tone. "Let's eat."

"He's only trying to stop playing because I'm kicking his ass," Ginny said with a smirk.

Harry glared at her, "Yes, you've beaten me once in all the times we've played together and here I am being a spoil sport about it. Can we eat? I'm to meet Hannah in half an hour and I really don't want to be late."

"Sorry about that Potter, I got caught up putting something together," Draco said, calmly, bordering on apologetically.

They sat down and ate hurriedly, talking only a little. Harry left with only a few minutes to spare before he was late by his own calculations. In his absence, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco decided that once they had finished up, the girls would get ready and Draco would go change while he waited.

"We're going to be later than I'd planned, but not so late that it'll be rude," Hermione assured them.

"Does it take so long to get ready?" Draco asked idly, unsure what the protocol was for this kind of situation.

"Not really, but I want to make sure I can do my hair."

Ginny groaned, "It takes _forever_ to do your hair."

Hermione giggled, "Not so much now. I've got a new potion for it. It works ever so much faster."

"I didn't know you did anything to that…" Draco started but Hermione interrupted.

"Watch it," She growled, looking testy.

"Beautiful mess, I was going to say."

Hermione grinned and Ginny stared at Draco with a strange expression. Hermione answered, "Of course I do. I just don't pump it full of a ton of stuff because it's bad for it. Do you still want to meet in the entrance hall?"

Draco nodded and finished his food. He went back to his room, intending to shower quickly and change his clothes into more appropriate attire.

Finally, after a mere eternity, it was time to meet Hermione to go to the party.

A/N: Hey! Thanks for all the reviews and favorites and follows! This chapter is a little more fast paced than normal, but I'm getting a little tired of the anticipation. I'm sure some of you all are too. I just needed to get what Draco had going on while the girls were chatting and move the story more.


	12. Illuminating conversations

Hermione and Ginny got dressed in relative silence, compared to how much they had been chatting while shopping. Finally, Ginny couldn't do it any longer.

"He's definitely not gay, Hermione," Ginny said with as much tact as one could muster when they were telling the smartest person they knew that they were an idiot.

Hermione frowned at her reflection as she paused in putting on mascara. "It doesn't really matter now, does it? Even if he's not gay, he's engaged. You saw it yourself. No matter what, this is ending in heartache for me. I'm trying to accept it."

"Hermione-"

The mascara cluttered to the counter as Hermione hastily put it down. "No. There's no sense in obsessing over it any more." She smiled sadly at Ginny through the mirror not caring how silly she looked with one eye mascara-ed and lined and the other not. "I'm already upset about it. I know. I'm wrong." She picked up the mascara again and tried for self depreciating humor, "How stupid could I have been to think he was gay?"

Ginny was debating the merits of choking her best friend. No, Draco was obviously not gay, but he was also obviously very much in love with the witch who's life Ginny was considering ending. Anyone with eyes could see that. But how does one make Hermione Granger see something that she's not ready to see? "Probably about as stupid as you were when you thought Ron was _the one_." Ginny said, wrinkling her nose. Hermione laughed to cover the sound of her heart breaking. Ginny continued unknowing of the pain her best friend was enduring, "Listen, I know you don't want to hear it but-"

"If you know I don't want to hear it, why would you make me listen?" Hermione said tiredly. "Just drop it Ginny. Just… let me ignore the pain for now. Tomorrow I'll listen, ok? Let's just have a fun night."

Ginny looked at Hermione for a long moment, considering. _Harry_ _ **did**_ _say that Draco would be acting on something tonight._ "Alright," She said finally. "That new hair potion really does make your hair look great, you know that?"

Hermione's long frizzy mane was somewhat tamed after the potion did its work. Hermione's hair would never have perfect ringlets, but it wasn't the bushy mane it had been when she took down her ponytail. It had a nice semi-defined wave pattern to it which really complemented her face shape. "Yeah, I like it too," Hermione answered brightly, accepting the olive branch for what it was. "And that dress you decided to wear is really great. I'm glad I made you borrow it," Hermione finished, dropping a wink at Ginny.

A knock came at the door and the pair shared a puzzled expression. Hermione went to answer it. Waiting behind the door was Headmistress McGonagall and Oliver Wood. "I've come for the love of my life, and though she is not you, it's nice to see you anyway Hermione," Oliver said in greeting.

From behind her, Ginny squealed Oliver's name and came barreling out the door, pushing Hermione aside in her haste. Hermione rolled her eyes at the display and Headmistress McGonagall chuckled, then she said, "Well, now that you've found your intended, I suppose I ought to leave you to it. Goodnight," With that, she turned her chair and rolled down the hall silently, still smiling faintly.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny said finally, once her lips detached from her future husband.

"I've decided we ought to go to the party together. I've hired a coach and all. But I… well I forgot about Hermione," He said, starting off proud of himself and finishing with a grimace of embarrassment.

Ginny looked at Hermione with a calculating expression on her face. Before she could speak, Hermione said, "That's very sweet, Ginny, don't you think? You ought to go enjoy it, right?"

Ginny looked apologetically at Hermione and then said, "Hermione's got a date for the evening anyway, so I guess it would be ok."

Hermione laughed, "Oh Ginny, think of yourself. That's a terribly romantic gesture! Enjoy it! I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, I promise I can make it there all right."

Ginny answered, "Of course I know you can, alright well, I just need to grab my purse then. Hang on a second Ollie!" And she bounded into the room, grabbed her purse and was back before Hermione could even start a brief and awkward conversation to entertain Oliver Wood, who she knew but not well and as far as she knew had nothing in common with. They said their goodbyes and Hermione quickly finished getting ready.

She headed down to the entrance hall a few moments later and didn't see Draco anywhere around. She pulled her jacket a little closer around her and pulled on her gloves while she waited.

Unlike Ginny who liked getting dolled up for parties, Hermione preferred a more low key approach. Tonight she was wearing jeans and riding boots. Her top was a little more revealing on her back than she would normally have worn, but in a tasteful kind of way, so she didn't feel tacky wearing it. The cream colored silk top was loose on the front with a high neckline, but wrapped elegantly on her back to only look like it was tied near her bum. She'd had Ginny help her charm the shirt to stay in place so Hermione wouldn't feel nervous. She had decided to wear her hair down and even put on eye makeup for some flair, too.

She was wearing a black pea coat over it all because it was _cold_ tonight. She could feel it seeping into her bones even before going outside.

"Granger," Drawled Draco from down the hall.

She smiled, happy to give him the attention his very presence demanded. "Hey Draco, you ready?" _Of course he's ready, god you're dumb Hermione._

She was already doing fantastically at getting over this crush, she told herself. He was amazingly handsome, kind, compassionate, and smelled better than should be legal. She was not in any way admiring how well he looked in his own jeans, black dress shoes, and wool overcoat. Likewise, she absolutely did _not_ have a fleeting thought that he looked like he belonged in a fashion magazine with how well everything complemented everything and even him. She definitely was already well on her way to getting over him. Definitely.

He reached her and answered, "I am. Did you remember to put on warming charms? It's quite cold out."

Hermione blushed, "I uh…"

"No, then?" He said both arrogantly and kindly (somehow it worked, Hermione was sure it could never happen with anyone who wasn't Draco) and cast the charm for her without waiting for permission.

Hermione grinned, still blushing slightly. "Thanks. Shall we then?"

"What about Gin-ny?" He caught himself before saying her whole name, remembering that apparently the witch didn't like it. _Might as well get used to it now._

"She went ahead with Oliver- he is her fiancee if I forgot to mention. He got a carriage for them and everything. Very romantic." Hermione tried very very hard to keep the slight bitterness out of her voice. "So it's just you and me, I suppose." She finished with a shrug just before opening the front door to the castle. She was immediately glad Draco had cast the charm because the first breath of the just above freezing air still made her breath catch.

The sun was already down, so Hermione transfigured a leaf into a lantern for light and they set off on the walk to the village. After a few minutes of quiet, Hermione asked, "So what do you think?"

Draco looked up from the ground in front of him- which he had been watching to avoid looking at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen- and risked a glance at her. _I'm doomed_ , he thought when he caught her smiling at him. "About what?" He asked.

"About Harry having a kid. About Pride and Prejudice. About the latest things on the telly. I don't know, Draco just what do you think?"

"I think that it's cold and you look lovely. I also think that the telly is the single most bizarre of all the muggle inventions in the last century. And of Pride and Prejudice, I believe it to be a singular work of fiction which has oft been copied but never replicated. And you Granger? What is it that you think?"

Hermione's brain was a little frazzled. Had he just called her lovely? _No, it's just his good manners I'm sure._ "I think that this is a very cold night," She answered. "Thank you for putting the warming charm on for me. The telly is not for me, but I think your analysis is intriguing. And as for Pride and Prejudice, I wholeheartedly agree."

Draco smiled at her and Hermione thought she might well be doomed. How was she supposed to get over this? "I still can't believe Potter is to be a father, however," He said.

Hermione took his arm in what was quickly becoming a completely normal way to walk with him, and answered, "Nor can I, if I'm to be honest. Could you imagine Harry's reaction to his first poopy diaper?" Hermione said, laughing. When she caught sight of the expression on Draco's face, she laughed all the harder. He looked disgusted at the thought of having to change a diaper and it was just so _him_ that Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't imagine that Potter has the coordination to wipe another beings excrement, not that I've ever given it any thought," Draco said haughtily. "Though the idea of him being spit up upon does hold a certain appeal to it."

Hermione laughed even harder and Draco finally gave in and laughed with her. "You're so mean, Draco," She said when the laughter started to fade.

He smirked, "Only to people I don't care for."

 _So he cares for me?_ "As long as you aren't mean to animals, I can look past it," She said, still chuckling a bit.

He wrinkled his nose, "I am exactly the same with animals as I am with humans."

She gave him a puzzled glance. "You don't like animals? How could you not?"

"I just don't _care for_ any. That doesn't mean I don't like them."

She scoffed, "So you would like them if you had them for pets?"

"If I ever made the choice to have a pet, I would care for it and therefore would never be mean to it." He shrugged. "I've never had a pet, so I'm only speaking theoretically."

She stopped walking and when he turned, looking at her puzzled, she said, "You've never had a pet?"

"I believe I just said that," He answered uncertainly.

"How can you go your whole life without having a pet?"

 _Well you see I'm a Veela and Veela have been known to eat small creatures while transformed so it never really seemed appropriate to have something worth being attached to, just to then wind up eating it._ "I just never met the right animal, I suppose. Come along Granger, don't want you to get sick."

"Draco, that's not how colds work!" She chided jokingly, but she kept walking anyway. She didn't want to say anything but that warming charm he had cast was weak. It was starting to fade already.

"We're nearly there, aren't we?" He asked.

"Yes, it's only a few more minutes away."

"Good. Now about Mr. Collins."

She groaned, "Ugh, don't you just hate him instantly?"

"Yes! How do you think the author managed to do that in only a few sentences?"

"I think it's partly to do with his repeated references to someone he perceives as more powerful than himself that does it."

Draco frowned, thinking of himself. He was a lot like Mr. Collins as a child in that annoying respect. "There's so much life to her characters."

Hermione hugged his arm, "There is, isn't there? You really feel like you know them."

Draco made a noncommittal noise of agreement. "Mr. Bennett is very funny."

"He is isn't he?"

"Do you think that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were soulmates?" He asked abruptly, thinking maybe _now_ was a good time to tell her.

She made a "Hmm" noise and thought it over. "Maybe in the strictest sense. They really don't seem compatible because all their flaws are the same but shown in different ways. But I think that they had to go through all the situations they did to come to a happy ending. Otherwise their character flaws would have just kept clashing. Don't you think?"

They reached the Apparation point and Hermione had him side-along, since he didn't know where they were going.

Before they reached the pub, Draco answered her, "I don't think they needed to go through it all. I think… I think Mr. Darcy just needed to confront his pride and admit to his feelings." He stopped her. "Just like I do. Hermione. I… I need to speak with you."

"Now? Draco, we're nearly there, and we're late already," Then she looked at him more closely. He was strained, flushed, tense. "Alright. Here, let's go right here so people won't hear us, alright? This little alleyway looks quiet."

He nodded and followed her in, nerves bouncing in his chest. "Draco, what's wrong?" She gently put a hand on his chest to stop his movement. It was dark back here, but she found she could see Draco very clearly. Was he… glowing? No, that was ridiculous.

"Hermione," He breathed, the Veela wrestling for control. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to lean against the wall in the shadow of the building. Here, even in the dirty alley way, her scent washed over him. He was still gripping her shoulders and made himself move the traitorous limbs as though trying to warm her. "You're not cold are you?" He asked.

She relaxed minutely, "No I'm not cold." She gently put a hand again on his chest and asked, "Are you alright, Draco? You're acting very upset."

He tried to step back. He tried to take his hands off her, but the Veela apparently liked him right where he was. He couldn't move. "Hermione," He whispered, reverential. "I have to tell you something and it might… well I don't know how you'll feel about it." He looked away, suddenly unsure of how he should go on.

 _Oh, he's going to tell me he's gay or engaged or whatever finally. Well this will be a relief. But what a strange time to do it._ She touched his face gently, making him look at her, "I have a feeling I might already know, Draco. You can tell me. It won't change my opinion of you at all." _Just get it over with so I can start to get over you._

He relaxed when she spoke. When he relaxed, the Veela finally won the contest for control. He nuzzled into her hand before she could take it away.

When a noise further in the alley made Hermione turn her head, his nose was suddenly filled with the scent of her. He leaned in and smelled along the column of her throat, the ecstasy of it nearly killing him. He released his pheromones on instinct while he breathed her in again.

She had stilled, finally realizing that Draco was probably not coming out as gay. _Looks like Ginny was right after all but…_ When he smelled along her neck, Hermione felt something low in her belly clench on reflex. All of her skin seemed to suddenly become ultra sensitive. She could practically feel her pupils dilate.

"Granger, don't you know we're meant to be? It's written in the stars," His words whispered against the sensitive skin on her neck, hands tracing her arms softly.

"Draco," She breathed. Then finding her voice and her senses in the same instant, she said more loudly, "What are you talking about, I thought you were gay! But then Ginny told me you're engaged! What is going on Draco?!"

He chuckled against her, only then did she realize he was pressed against her. There was an odd pressure against her stomach that seemed… oh. One of his hands had cupped the back of her head and the other was tracing patterns on her side. Oh. "Not gay, little Hermione. Just Veela."

 _Oh._ Her heart seemed to stop and then beat twice as fast to catch up. "Veela?" Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. His appearance, his parents suddenly showing up and being cordial to her, Harry's sudden interest in Veela, his refusal to discuss magical creatures, his noninterest in other women… wait. "Are you trying to tell me I'm…"

He nipped gently at her pulse point, her body reacting with an ache of pleasure and she gasped. He murmured against her skin, "My mate," several times while he placed gentle kisses along her collarbone.

Hermione was struggling to think. Most of her just wanted to give in to the sensations he was bringing out in her, but there was a loud clanging thought. She pushed him back slightly he looked at her, eyes glowing in the dark, "Draco your eyes!"

He was staring at her lips, "Yes I can't control the Veela right now. It's the magic of the Veela making my eyes glow... Hermione," He groaned her name when she ran a hand across his cheek while she looked into his eyes. "There's something I need from you."

"Draco I think I need some information about this," Now that he wasn't trying to seduce her it was easier to think.

He looked at her, sympathetically. "I know, but I need you to say you accept me. Do you accept being my mate?"

She looked at him and remembered that if she said no, it would kill him. That much she knew about Veela. Of course she had to say yes, "Yes I accept, Draco."

The alleyway was suddenly filled with a magical light and a warm breeze. Draco sighed happily and they heard a pop of apparition nearby. The Veela finally let him have control of everything once more. "We'll only have a minute, Hermione."

She was very confused. "A minute? Why?"

He sighed, threading a hand through her curls. "A ministry official will be here in a minute to have us sign a document making you an official accepted Veela mate." Her mouth popped open in a surprised 'o' and Draco stared at the perfectly plump opening. "Have I ever told you how beautiful your lips are?" He stroked his thumb softly across her lower lip, making it tingle and Hermione want to lick her lips. He smoothed a curl from her face, tucking it gently behind an ear. Her body pressed so intimately against him felt amazing, even in his right mind. _I'm doomed._

"What does that mean? Draco, you may not touch me until I have answers!" He had been trying to pull her yet closer to him so he could cuddle her… and maybe snog her for a few hours.

He sighed, nipped her neck again, and stood straight. When it proved too difficult to not touch her, he put his hands in his pockets. "The ministry keeps records of Veela and their mates, as we are a protected species. When you accept, they have to make sure I didn't manipulate you into it or take you unwillingly. They don't understand that taking a mate by force is physically impossible for Veela. They'll do the same thing if you want to get married to me."

Hermione's mind was spinning. "Married?"

He smiled fondly at her, "Well. The marriage thing is optional. Technically, when you accepted… er... we're married according to the ministry."

"MARRIED?!" Hermione screeched.

"Well.. it's to protect us until when we uh… have sex." He said, looking mildly uncomfortable. "Look, the ministry person is going to explain it because I'm doing a shit job of it. I'm very very sorry."

"Mr. Malfoy, is that you?" Asked a woman's voice nearby.

Draco pushed Hermione behind him and grabbed out his wand, facing toward the voice. "Who asks?" he demanded, his voice full of regal authority.

"My name is Cassie. I work for the ministry. I've been assigned to your case. May I approach?" The woman answered, sounding calm and businesslike.

Draco lowered his wand and looked at Hermione. "Yes." Draco answered. Hermione was glaring at Draco.

The woman came into the alleyway holding a lantern. In the lantern's golden glow, Hermione suddenly felt insecure. The woman was tall and slender, beautifully manicured and her blonde hair perfectly coiffed. She was wearing a plain suit, but her beauty made even that plain cut look like it was made for her. "The lantern is going to help keep anyone from seeing us, and I've already cast secrecy and silencing charms. Would either of you like to add any more?"

Hermione cast a quick charm to see if the woman was telling the truth and then said, "No those seem sufficient."

Draco nodded. "We were just discussing the rules and laws. I'm sure Hermione will have questions for you."

Cassie nodded and said, "Well then. I will introduce myself properly then. I'm Cassandra Stone. I am one-fourth Veela, much lower than Mr. Malfoy who is approximately two-thirds Veela. It is a bit confusing since the ancestry runs from both sides of his family. I also have a mate, and we have been bonded for three years in December. It is uncommon for someone with a percentage under one-half such as myself to identify their mate, but I was fortunate. Now, Miss Granger. Please ask your questions."

"Alright," Hermione began. "Let's start broad. What the hell is going on? And why is Draco such an idiot?"

Draco chuckled. "I'm sorry I did not explain well. I lost a bit of control."

Cassie looked at Draco sternly, "While this is understandable because you have waited so long, try not to do anything without explaining it first. You know the laws." Draco nodded, and she continued, now speaking to Hermione. "Draco Malfoy is a Veela. At age 17, he went through a transformation and discovered that you were his mate. He may have had inklings of your identity before then, but he will have to explain that to you in the coming days.

"For reasons I am not privy to, Mr. Malfoy chose not to act on his instinct to seek you out and explain everything then. Annually, he has gone through a similar transformation. I believe he has been using a special potion to suppress the instinct, is that correct?"

Draco looked uncomfortable, "Yes, that is correct."

"Recently, Mr. Malfoy made the decision to tell you and the potion began to be less effective at controlling the mating instinct. This is why he abruptly told you, if I'm understanding the situation correctly?" She seemed to ask Draco, who nodded, again studying Hermione's neck.

Hermione looked at the both of them for a moment, trying to remember this was not a dream. "How does he know I'm his mate? I only just started liking him recently and he's never even indicated he was not to women much less me!"

"There is a special smell that comes off the mate. Draco, what does she smell like to you?" Cassie asked.

Draco smiled softly, "Like heaven."

Cassie laughed, "Oh come on, let it out. Miss Granger is never going to understand unless you stop hiding it all the time."

Draco scowled, looking down for a second. "She smells like apple pie and home and all the things in the world that make me happy. It's a smell I love and can never get enough of. If I were only allowed to be near enough to smell her for the rest of my life, I would be content."

Draco was blushing, Hermione noticed when she looked at him shyly, even while feeling the heat on her own cheeks.

Gently, Cassie said, "If you're wondering, Miss Granger, you simply smell like your perfume and natural smell to me. That's the way it works for us. My husband smells like caramel mostly to me. I won't describe it now, for it makes me want him to be next to me and I must do this."

Hermione looked at the both of them for a moment, her nervousness becoming understanding. Draco would definitely be getting a good telling off for not having explained everything but he really did seem to have lost control. "OK, then what happens now?"

Cassie cleared her throat. "Now, you'll sign a document asserting that you're accepting your role willingly and no one forced you to do anything. This is just to make sure that non Veela can't say they have a claim on you and they can't say you're unwilling or giving up your human rights or anything in that vein. Do you believe that to be the case?"

"Well, yes, of course I'm not being forced into anything. I've just accepted without knowing all the details." She glared at Draco for a second. "But now that I know the details it doesn't seem so bad."

"Good. Now, this bit is a little strange, so be prepared. After you sign this document, the ministry considers you married." Cassie held a hand out to stop Hermione from saying anything with the ease of old practice. "Now, I know that sounds crazy. From the point when you accept the Veela, there is no one else you can physically marry or be with, that is, in a sexual way. This is a protection for the Veela, to ensure that no one can try to steal the mate away and killing the Veela."

"Wait killing?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Yes Miss Granger. This is the vulnerable nature of the Veela. In the time between acceptance and marking, the Veela is very vulnerable. If the mate rejects for any reason, even if the mate is unwilling- such as being married against their will- the Veela will die."

"Marking?" Hermione said in a small voice.

Cassie sighed. "You really didn't get a chance to explain, did you, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Hermione. I wish I had been able to tell you sooner. I was just so frightened you wouldn't accept me and my magic was weakening and with the way that idiot was acting I couldn't protect you… I had made the decision to tell you... but the Veela just took over."

"Would you rather hear it from me or Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger?"

"Draco?" Hermione said, uncertain.

"Is it alright if I hold your hand while I tell you?"

Hermione looked at him, flabbergasted, "I guess so," She answered.

He gently took her hand in both of his, she felt a strange kind of electricity when they touched. Draco said, "There is an instinct to bite one's mate when you're a Veela, Hermione. Not like a gentle nibble, although that's there too," He smirked at her. "The mark is where I'll be instinctively drawn to bite you. Veela have fangs, Hermione. Cassie probably can't transform all the way, but I can. That means that I'll grow fangs while we are having sex and at the moment of climax I will bite you and inject some venom into you." Hermione felt slightly sick and maybe a bit faint at this information. Draco waved a hand and sat her down next to him on a conjured couch. He glanced at Cassie and gestured to the seat he had made for her. Cassie sat.

"The venom will not hurt, Hermione, I swear." Draco said, rubbing her hand between his as he tried to calm her. "Nor will the bite. Veela cannot hurt their mate."

"It won't hurt? You're going to bite me!"

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the inside of her wrist, gently. She gasped as her body clenched in want again, seemingly ignoring her mind freaking out.

"It won't hurt because Veela have a special compound in their saliva which makes the mate feel pleasure. When he bites you, the saliva makes it feel good." Cassie said, trying to comfort. "It's not a conscious thing, it is just something which happens on instinct."

Draco was nuzzling her hand. "Alright," Hermione began, pulling her hand away from Draco's face. "So from now until he… until we have sex for the first time, is a dangerous time for Draco. But with the restrictions by the ministry, he should be safe, is that right?"

"Well yes. Unless you… well. You're… uh... " Cassie seemed a little flustered.

"You're not seeing anyone, right Hermione?" Draco asked, smirking at Cassie's discomfort.

"No. Well I mean Ron was trying again to… Draco did you just… growl?"

"Hermione, did Ronald Fucking Weasley touch you?"

"What? No. I can't stand him. He's been trying to get me to start dating him recently and because I keep saying no he's getting angry."

Cassie spoke up, "Hermione, if this Ronald is a perceived threat to Mr. Malfoy's claim, his Veela might challenge…"

"Draco, Ron is a ponce and I cannot stand him." Hermione said quickly.

Draco relaxed and took her hand again.

"Now then," Cassie said with a nod. "Is there anything else I can answer, Miss Granger?"

Hermione's mind whirled. Why had Draco waited so long? When were they going to have sex? Did he know she was a virgin? All those things she mentally shoved into an 'ask Draco' pile. What else would she need to know before signing this paper? "Wait. If we're married, does that mean we have to live together?"

Draco answered, "Yes, but I've made arrangements with the headmistress to have an extended set of rooms so you can live with me but you'll have your own bed and room until you're comfortable."

Hermione stared at him, flabbergasted once more. The extra room. She had even seen it. "That's very thoughtful of you, Draco."

He smirked arrogantly at her, "Of course it was. I thought of it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I think I'm out of questions," Hermione began.

Draco snorted, "Not likely," he said under his breath.

Hermione glared at him and continued, "For you Cassie. But I have a lot of questions for Draco."

"There's my little overachiever," Draco said fondly, then kissed her palm.

Hermione snatched her hand out of his grasp. "Is there a way we can contact you if I need to know something?"

Cassie smiled, then handed Hermione her card. "Just tap it with your wand and I'll come as soon as I can. Now, are we ready to begin signing?"

Hermione thought over all she had learned and nodded. Cassie produced a scroll and walked them through where to sign and recited the whole document as she did so. Essentially it was exactly what Cassie had said it was.

She was legally married to Draco, and she was doing so without having been coerced into it. Hermione chose not to dwell on the fact that she kind of had been. She was confident that Draco wouldn't hurt her, and that it was the right decision to accept him. The only other option would be to reject him and that would have killed him. She tried not to think of what her friends would say.

When that thought hit her she dropped her quill, "Oh my god. Harry knew didn't he?" She asked Draco accusingly.

He smiled sheepishly, "Yes."

"That bastard." Hermione muttered as she signed the last time. When she lifted the quill off the document, it glowed golden and curled itself up into a neatly tied scroll.

"And that's that! Congratulations Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy! Hermione I know this all has come as a shock, but I am absolutely certain you will be happy about this arrangement. Draco, make sure you don't lose control again."

"Yes ma'am," Draco said seriously.

"I'll take my leave so you two can have your conversation. Good night," Cassie said with a curtsey before apparating.

"If you're not tired we can walk back to the castle and you can ask me everything you want to know. Since you've accepted it makes it easier to control the Veela so… I won't ravish you in the woods…. Unless you want me to," He said with a devilish gleam in his eyes.

Hermione smiled at him, "That sounds nice." His grin widened and Hermione caught what she said. "Yes the _walking_ will be nice."

Draco let out a chuckle and gestured for her to go ahead of him out of the alleyway.

"Thank you. We should just go quickly to the party and..." She froze. The weight of what just happened suddenly hitting her in the face. "Oh my god we're married," She said in a faint voice.

Then she fainted.

A/N: Well, there you have it. I had an alternate version where Ron came off as a mega ass, but I just didn't like it. I'mI'm not entirely happy with this version either, but it's better than the original version I wrote, well, to me. This is also twice as long as the other chapters because there is just nowhere to cut it. As always, thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows!


	13. First Kiss

When Hermione opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar bedroom. She was very confused. Her head felt fuzzy and heavy.

"Granger?" Draco's hoarse whisper came buzzing through her head and she turned to find him sitting on a chair next to the bed. He was rubbing one eye and his hair was sticking up a bit in the back. When he took his hand off his eye, she saw his face was red and had the indention of his ring decorating the sharp angle of his cheekbone.

"Where am I?" She asked in a whisper. Her throat was so dry.

"You're in my rooms. Well, your room within my living space at Hogwarts. I'm… here, wait let me get you some water, are you thirsty?" He was obviously stressed.

She nodded, "Please," she said in an almost croak.

He all but ran out of the room and returned a moment later with a glass with water in it and beads of condensation on the glass. It even had a straw in it, though it was plain white. She took a sip and then asked, "What happened? Why am I here?"

Draco sat again and ran a hand through his hair. "You fainted. How are you feeling, are you alright?" He was… fretting?

"I think I'm alright. I had some crazy dream that…" She looked around the room.

Her eyes darted to the dresser.

To the painting she had in her own bedroom.

To the cat tree.

To Crookshanks.

"Oh my god. Was that a dream?"

He took her nearest hand in his and looked at her, trying to be reassuring, "If it was a dream about me being a Veela, then no that was not a dream."

She sat up in the bed, "Wait. We're…" She lowered her voice as though someone could hear them, "We're married?"

Draco just looked at her for a moment, absolutely lost on what he should say. "Yes," he finally said.

She took a deep breath and put the drink on a nearby bedside table. She let out the breath slowly. "Draco, I have so many questions I don't even know where to start."

He smirked and sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you want to start, perhaps, at the beginning?"

"Don't you patronize _me_ Malfoy!"

He chuckled, "Do you know how beautiful you look when you're angry?"

"Draco! Be serious! I'm having a mild freak out over here! We're married! I barely know you! You're so closed off I can barely even get a straight answer! And speaking of straight, I thought you were gay yesterday! Wait what time is it?"

"Nearly midnight. What do you mean you thought I was gay?" Draco asked, bewildered.

She sighed. "It's a long story. Suffice to say it seemed right because you never looked at girls."

"Of course not. Since I turned 17, I have only been interested in one woman." He said, looking at her intensely.

"Ok, but," she blushed and tried to stop her heart from racing any more. "Wait. How did we get here?"

"I… er… I transformed."

"Oh my gosh Draco! Are you ok? Have you eaten anything since?"

Draco looked at her fondly and kissed the back of her hand softly. "I did. I'm fine. I couldn't have controlled it. To the Veela, you are now to be protected. Well, more than before."

"You say that like the Veela is separate from you?"

He shrugged, letting go of her hand and running his hand through his hair again. "It is and it isn't. There's sort of a dichotomy until we… er… mate. Then the Veela part of me just becomes… me."

"And how did all my stuff get here? And Crooks is even here?"

Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair, "McGonagall had them moved here once I told her what happened. Pomfrey came by too, to make sure you were alright."

"Well, am I alright?" Hermione asked nervously.

Draco smiled and took her hand, "Of course you are. It's... " He sighed sadly, "It's again my fault. I waited too long to tell you. Your body couldn't take the stress."

"McGonagall knew, didn't she?" Hermione accused.

Draco nodded, then said, "As did Madam Pomfrey."

She snorted in irritation, "Did _everyone_ know but me?"

Draco stroked a thumb across her cheek and answered, "No. Just McGonagall and Pomfrey knew. Potter eavesdropped on a conversation and found out. If it makes you feel better, he gave his blessing in his own idiotic way."

"I feel so stupid! Why couldn't you have just told _me?_ I've been trying to get _over_ this stupid crush but- Wait, I'm incredibly uncomfortable right now. Can we go into the sitting room, please?"

"Of course," He answered and helped her to stand. They moved into his sitting room and Draco went back for her drink while she settled in. "How's that?" He asked, handing her the drink and sitting stiffly next to her. He was internally panicking. She could have been seriously injured if he hadn't caught her when she fainted. His weakening magic had failed him for the first time when he tried to apparate and the Veela had suddenly seized control and he transformed. Now that she was awake, he had to figure out what to say, how to apologize, how to make her happy again. _Did she just say she had a crush on me?_

Meanwhile, Hermione was trying to wrap her head around the dual nature of her…. Husband. "Ok, I guess. But we're married."

"Yes," Draco responded, anxious.

"Your parents were nice to me that day. And you said they were getting what they wanted and… just what?"

He turned more toward her and picked up her hand, gently holding it in his. "My parents wanted me to just tell you everything and lean on your gentle nature to get what they wanted. They wanted me to manipulate you into it all and then lie to the ministry about your willingness."

"Well, I don't think you did that. Did you do that?"

"No, of course not." He looked mildly offended that she would ask.

"So, what exactly _did_ happen when you told me? You don't seem the type to blurt."

He examined their hands next to one another for a moment, trying to find the words to explain. "I _had_ planned on telling you after the party. I didn't want to steal you away from your friends. However, when the Veela awakened at the talk of soul mates, and Potter had just told me earlier you were attracted to me and," He sighed, "I just… I couldn't wait anymore."

"Why _did_ you wait so long?" _Harry is going to get it for this._

He looked away. "I didn't… I don't…." He sighed. He stood abruptly and began to pace the room. With a frustrated growl, he said, "Because I don't deserve it."

She looked at him like he had grown a second head. "What the hell does that mean? You don't deserve me or you don't deserve to live or what?"

"Look, it's just not fair, is it? Do you even get a choice? No! My magic sought _you_ out. You don't get the choice in who you'll marry or anything! It's as though it's not bad enough that my biology influences your decision on when we have sex for the first time. Everyone else thinks that I'm essentially taking away your choice on having sex with me! Did you know that? Veela are seen as practically rapists! No one seems to get that the Veela _can't_ have sex unless their mate is willing- one hundred percent willing. Do you get it? And up until recently, you've seen me as untrustworthy! Do you have any idea how hard that was to overcome? How much that _hurt_? To make it even worse, you had every _right_ to think that of me!"

"Draco," She said, trying to stop his rant.

"No, don't sit there and tell me it's all going to be ok! It's bloody well fair. I've been cruel to you, ignored you, practically left you for dead when my aunt was carving into you! And then just because I'm a certain percentage Veela my stupid genetics decided _you-_ you of _all_ people- are the one I have to convince to love me! And how screwed up is that? I have to _convince_ you to love me."

"No you don't," Hermione said quietly.

He finally stopped, "What?"

"You don't have to convince me to do anything. If you had told me yesterday, I would have said I accepted you. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have accepted you."

"Out of duty. Out of the misguided desire to keep me from dying," Draco said bitterly.

Hermione reached her hand out and snagged his wrist when he crossed in front of her, "Maybe. But there's a part of me that's always believed that there's so much more to you than you let on. So much more than just aristocratic. So much more than just some Pureblooded jerk. You always present yourself as simple, but I've never believed it. I would have given you the chance if you had asked for it."

He sat on the edge of the couch, hope blooming painfully fast in his chest. "Really?"

She shyly met his eyes. "Really. Neither of us are simple people. I'm a little offended you would have put me in such a small box, Draco."

He smiled, his hand wrapping around hers and tracing up her arm. "I couldn't tell you because… well I've always been terrified of you."

"Why? I've never been frightened of you," She answered quietly.

His hand was resting on her arm, but he moved it to cup the back of her head gently. "I'm going to kiss you," He said in a whisper of his own. She licked her lips subconsciously and looked both intrigued and uncertain at once. She chanced a look at his eyes and saw they were glowing and nervous. "Granger is it… is it alright if I kiss you?" He asked.

"Yes," She said in a quiet voice. Would she even enjoy it? She had always hated being kissed in the past.

The glow in his eyes intensified and he leaned further forward. Cupping her face, he ran his thumb across her lips and stared at her intensely.

Finally, _finally_ he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Hermione's eyes slipped shut. She pressed her lips harder into his and readjusted slightly.

One hand fisted her curls and the other slipping around her body to touch her bare back where the shirt stopped.

She tried to resist his pull but she couldn't fight anymore. His soft lips pulled on hers delectably. She felt a surge of something great in her body and could do nothing but kiss him more. When he pulled back, she made a needy sound.

He returned immediately, desperate and wanting. Her little sounds and sighs spurred him on. He turned more toward her and tangled a hand through her hair.

Suddenly he was helping her lower herself onto his lap and resisting the urge to thrust up against her. Hermione's hand tangled in the short hairs at the base of his neck and he grabbed her hips, pulling her more against him, rocking her body slightly, wanting the pressure to ease and only serving to make it worse. It was _so_ much better than he imagined.

She gasped when she felt _him_ press against her center. As soon as her mouth opened, Draco's tongue slid forward to tangle with hers. Hermione readjusted her angle and kissed him harder, wanting nothing more than to do this for the rest of their lives.

He pulled back, drawing in a breath and kissing down her neck and found a nice little spot where her neck met her shoulder which made her shiver. When he bit it gently, she moaned softly, "Malfoy." His rough hand moved so softly against her bare back.

He kissed further down, tracing her collarbone. Then he met the silky barrier of her shirt and ghosted over the fabric, his breath warming and cooling her overheated flesh at once. She pressed down more firmly into his lap and he groaned against her chest. Then he was back at her mouth, devouring her lips, thrusting up against her absently. He pulled back to look at her, his face flushed and lips swollen and Hermione could barely breathe because he looked so… _sexy_. "We've got to stop," he whispered, gripping her hips to stop both of them from continuing rutting against one another. "We don't have to do anything more until you're ready."

Hermione ran a hand through his hair, watching his eyes close in his enjoyment. His hair was softer than anything she had ever touched, it practically begged her to run her fingers through it again. She didn't. Instead, she gently traced his face with her fingertips, learning the texture of his skin, watching his expression change, feeling the tension radiating off him to stay in control of whatever demons he was fighting. She sighed. She traced his lips, finding some weird enjoyment in how he gripped her hips tighter and tensed, glad she could affect him. He popped his eyes open when she shifted her weight forward and groaned desperately when she kissed him again, gentle, chaste.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was so hard to be calm when not only was she literally on top of him, but also aroused herself. _She's not ready. She's not ready._ He chanted inside his head as she was looking at him both hungrily and slightly embarrassed.

When his fingertips traced along her body on their way to removing themselves from her person, Draco watched in fascination as her eyes slid partly closed and she bit her lower lip. He nearly wished he hadn't told her because the torture of her warm center so close to his aching cock felt like hell. When she looked at him again, the hunger was stronger in her eyes and he heard himself let out a strangled groan when he forced his head to the back of the couch.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Hermione asked, worry lacing her words. She honestly didn't know how much pressure it took to hurt his…. Er… _thing_ and she had just realized she may have been pushing down too hard.

"No," he groaned.

"Should I… er… get up or…?" She asked, all nerves. Her virginity was suddenly something very real, suddenly a source of all her awkwardness and embarrassment to channel from. _Why wasn't I nervous when he was kissing me?_

He raised his head and examined her eyes when he sensed her nerves and heard her worried voice. "I have no problem with you staying right there for eternity. Though I get the feeling it makes you uncomfortable."

She flushed and looked away. "It's just that… I have… uh…" Then she sighed and reached for her stupid courage which for some reason had left her high and dry for the last few minutes. "I've never done more than kiss a boy so-"

"A boy?" He growled, both jealous of her lips going anywhere near the Weasel and irritated that she had insinuated that Draco himself deserved to be called a boy.

She sighed and scooted back to sit on his knees. "I mean Ron. And it made me want to vomit. So I kept physical affection to a minimum. This… reaction I've just felt has never happened to me before." There. She had said it. Now he knew that she was a virgin and _Damn, now will he gloat that Ron was not able to get me to react?_

He smirked, "I would likely vomit if the Weasel came anywhere near my lips, too."

She giggled.

"Granger," He said, waiting to catch her gaze. "I actually did vomit the only time I've ever tried kissing a girl."

She laughed. Then what he said replayed in her mind and she stopped laughing, "You mean… you're a…"

"Yes Granger. We are both virgins. I'm unable to become sexually aroused by anyone else in the entire world."

That was both a scary and relieving thought. "Even if I get fat?"

He nodded. Then he said, seriously, "Especially then."

She snorted, "What if I get warts all over my face?"

"I'll still want you."

"If I'm horribly maimed in a fire?"

"I'll suddenly want you more, if only to have to prove you're still beautiful."

She laughed, "I knew it! You're a romantic!"

He thinned his lips to a line and then said, "Not so loudly, Granger. Someone will hear. Then my reputation will be _ruined_."

She scoffed, "What reputation?"

"Well, I am the most stoic person in the castle. If it gets around that I'm a romantic, why, think of the consequences!"

"How are we going to do all of this Draco? Really? We're married! My last name is changed, and no one even thought we were dating I don't think and when are we going to….."

He pulled her face to his and kissed her again. Her anxiety levels dropped instantly. When he pulled back, he said, "We can make an announcement for the Monday morning paper. The school can know today if it makes you feel better. We have two weeks until I _have_ to mark you. I don't want you to feel pressured about it in the least. There's plenty of time."

"There's a time limit?"

He picked her up and sat her next to him on the couch, if only to clear his mind. She squeaked in surprise. "Yes, there is. There's... well, there is something else." She nodded for him to continue, so he did. "From the point of you accepting being my mate, we have a fortnight to… consummate the acceptance. At some point soon, we will have to perform an acceptance ritual with my parents to have you welcomed officially into the Malfoy family."

"A what." Hermione asked blankly. She had no idea what he was talking about.

He smirked and fixed a curl which he had mussed. The thought that he had messed up her hair when she was willingly snogging him sent a wild desire racing through his veins again and he had to take a deep breath before he pulled her back to him. "Acceptance ritual. It's not related to the Veela stuff. It's a formal tea service to welcome the new Lady Malfoy into the family. There's a set of spells to make you be recognized by all the Malfoy properties and possessions," He waved a hand carelessly.

"So it's one of those stuffy Pureblooded things?"

He smirked, "Yes."

"So should we… erm…. Maybe go on a… a…. dateorsomethingtomorrow?" She asked nervously.

He looked at her, utterly baffled. "What? I have no idea what you just said."

She turned scarlet and said softly, "Should we go uh… on a date… or something… tomorrow…?"

He smiled, "Absolutely." The Veela was silent within him and only now did Draco realize it. He had been fighting the Veela for the last five years and to not have to fight it seemed strange. He wondered why it was the case. Maybe because she had accepted him or maybe the kissing was enough to calm it.

Another possibility was that the Veela understood that she simply wasn't ready to be marked yet. That was the whole reason for the fortnight to mark the mate. All the pheromones and saliva did was _help_ make the mate ready, it didn't take away her choice. Whatever the reason for the Veela's quietness, he was grateful.

"I think I ought to try going back to my room," Hermione said awkwardly. "Maybe I should try reading a bit into this Veela thing for a while. Will… will that be ok?"

He nodded, deciding it would be best for both of them to have some space to digest all this information.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm running out of pre-written chapters because of a small emergency at my home. Thankfully no one was hurt, but dealing with insurance people takes a lot of time. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get back my buffer!


	14. Expect the Unexpected

Hermione spent her next few hours reading through literature which gave semi-conflicting information on Veela. They also gave wildly differing descriptions of Veela mating practices. No wonder the population at large had a confused picture of the Veela. She finally huffed and stopped reading when she got to one description of a Veela transformation which described the male as 'a rage filled demon, only concerned with the protection of his mate- at terrible cost.'

She decided that she would need to ask Draco for additional reading material so she would understand the process of the mating on her own. She was uncomfortable only relying on his information, even if he was a Veela and had no intentions to hurt her. She wanted to know _everything_ , not just what was relevant to the conversation. She showered, dressed in sleep shorts and a cami, and turned in at nearly three in the morning.

At some unknown pre-dawn hour, she was awakened by a shuffling noise outside her bedroom. It took her a moment to remember where she was. After her fuzzy-headedness faded, she thought the sound must be Crookshanks, but then she realized his little warm body was next to her in the bed. Frowning, she got out of bed and opened the door cautiously.

A pale chest met her gaze as soon as she cracked the door.

She jumped. "Draco!" She gasped.

There was no response. He merely stood there. Hermione looked closer at his open eyes. They were glowing but also glazed and unfocused. He was….

Asleep?

She reached out instinctively to touch him, and then thought better of it. The last thing she wanted was to startle him awake. She had no idea if he would transform or possibly hurt her in his fright or anything. She took her hand back and considered.

"Draco?" She said more loudly than she had previously. No response. She got a little closer and said his name again, more loudly. Still nothing. She vaguely started to remember that one ought not _wake up_ a sleepwalker, but rather guide them back to their bed. "But how can I guide you without touching you?" She asked without realizing she had spoken aloud.

A few thoughtful seconds passed and Hermione finally decided to take Draco's arms very softly so he wouldn't be startled and then she would pull him back to his bed. So she did that. His skin was so soft on top of the firm muscles. She was actually a little jealous of how smooth his skin was. He didn't even have any chest hair except a bit near the waistband of his sleeping pants.

He didn't resist in the least and Hermione led him back into his room easily.

So easily in fact, she didn't consider how she ought to get him back into his bed. She yawned while she thought about this latest issue. She tried backing him against the bed to see if he would sit on instinct and he miraculously did just what she wanted.

That just left trying to get him to lay back down. She gently pushed him at an angle, trying to maneuver him into lying back against his pillows.

This, he resisted.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," She muttered, putting her hands on her hips in frustration. She decided to try a different hold to get him to lay back down. Wrapping one hand around the back of his head and placing the other on his shoulder to guide, she tried leaning into him so he would get the idea.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when his hands wrapped around her body and pulled her into bed with him.

He groaned and buried his face in her neck when she made a small noise of protest. "Mmm, so beautiful," he groaned against her skin. "So soft."

She didn't know exactly what to do in this situation. She didn't have the slightest clue what she even _could_ do in this situation. "Draco, you're kind of hurting me," She said softly, the bones of his arm digging into the tender part of her ribs. He made a soft sighing murmuring sound and moved the arm under her ribs to under her neck. "Draco are you awake?" She asked. There was no response. Now that she wasn't in pain, she started to realize the particulars of her situation.

She was actually quite comfortable. He had pulled her against him so that she was facing his chest. Draco had one arm under her neck and the other wrapped around her and his hand… cupping her bottom. Which was oddly nice feeling, despite the obvious awkwardness. Her arms were trapped between their bodies so she couldn't exactly make him move his hand anyway.

She figured maybe she ought to just wait for him to shift positions and then she would be able to escape. Just as soon as he let go of her bottom, she would be able to get up. She yawned, closing her eyes to ease the aching dryness caused by reading too late and not enough sleep. She was so tired.

She popped her eyes back open, realizing she was about to fall asleep. She tried thinking about her and Draco's relationship and how to make it public that they were married and Draco's soft snoring and comforting embrace and….

Draco woke in a startle. He knew it was later than he normally woke up, but something was off.

When his eyes flew open and he jerked his body, Hermione gave a little noise of surprise from where she was attempting to leave the bed.

"I'm sorry-"

"What are you-"

They stared at each other for a second. Then Hermione said, "I'm sorry I startled you. I was just finally able to get up. I wish you had told me you were a sleepwalker."

Draco stared at her blankly for a second before responding, "I didn't know I _was_ a sleepwalker. How did you end up in here? What time is it?"

Hermione yawned. "You woke me up because you were making noise right next to my door. So I brought you back in here. Then you pulled me into bed with you."

Draco blushed. Yes, Hermione was sure of it. He was blushing. "I pulled you into bed? I didn't… I didn't do anything _untoward_ , did I?"

She laughed, "No. You just snuggled me like a proper gentleman. How could you not know you're a sleepwalker? Doesn't it usually start in adolescence?"

"I don't know," He answered, scrubbing his hand against his face in a tired gesture Hermione could already read. "I've never looked into it. Hey, I'm sorry," He said suddenly when he looked up. "I'm sorry it woke you up. I'll make you coffee if you want?" He felt tired like he had the day before. He wondered idly if it was his weakening magic or because he was apparently sleepwalking that was making him so tired.

She stood and stretched her hands above her head, flexing every muscle in her back, shoulders, and even her legs while she lifted onto her toes. Draco tried not to drool. She wouldn't have noticed, as she was facing away from him. "Yes, a coffee would be lovely," She answered finally. She had turned to look at him while stretching one arm over her head and bending slightly to the side. "Do you think the sleepwalking is new? Maybe… related to the Veela stuff?"

Realizing a certain… swelling was prohibiting him from standing without embarrassment, he called for a coffee tray and bent his knees as he sat all the way up. Once the tray was delivered, he answered, "Maybe the Veela is seeking you out. That seems plausible. But I've never heard of them being associated."

She was stretching the other way, but answered, "Well, I suppose we can find out if you do it again. Your eyes were glowing and everything. Also, why don't the elves show themselves around you?"

He looked up at her, guilty and shocked in equal measure. "Well, because Veela are territorial. I er… can't be trusted not to hurt them until after we…"

It was Hermione's turn to blush. "Oh. Well then." She sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed and accepted the coffee cup he offered her. She took a sip and gave her thanks in a distracted tone. She was trying not to ogle him and probably doing a bad job of it. She had started to do her ordinary morning stretches before realizing that she was _probably_ putting up too much of a blase attitude to cover her nerves. It seemed to be hard for Draco to pretend things were alright. Which was odd. She had been pretending things were alright, because she figured he would be acting similarly, but his discomfort was becoming quite palpable. Maybe she ought to go to her room and give him space or maybe try to get him to be silly with her...

 _Great. Now on top of everything, this has become the most awkward moment of my life. How do I make it better?_ "So… how did you sleep?" He asked hesitantly.

She gave him a small smile and a nod, "Quite well, once you moved your arm from below my ribs." She laughed softly, "I wouldn't be surprised if I'm bruised there."

He stopped himself from reaching out to check for himself, but not before Hermione noticed the movement. She raised an eyebrow. "Sorry," He said and then took a sip of his own cup, looking away. _Shit shit shit can't you be funny or witty or anything?_

"Oh, it's quite alright. I'm sure I've only once or twice felt so relaxed after waking. So I suppose I can forgive you."

"Well, I'm sure that among the many talents I have, my expert sleeping skills will be the most valuable."

She laughed, relieved he had apparently gotten over his self-consciousness. "Expert _sleeping_ skills? Draco, you're so ridiculous."

He scoffed, relaxing as she made it clear she wasn't angry with him or uncomfortable. "I'm an expert in a great many things, I'll have you know. Sleeping is just one of my many talents."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"I'll make you a list. It'll save us both time.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "You do that."

He was distracted by her bare legs when she shifted one. "What happened there?" He asked while pointing to a scar on her thigh.

She looked where he pointed and said, "When I was a girl, I fell off my bike and hit a fence." She smiled. She pointed at a semicircular scar on his chest, "What happened there?"

Draco pointed to a large scar in the center of his chest in a line, "Well, this one is from Potter's spell in the bathroom. Remember? He nearly killed me. The jackass." Then he pointed to the semicircular one which Hermione had been indicating and said, with a shrug, "This one is from my father. I did something to upset him and he hit me with his cane."

"Oh Draco that's horrible!" Hermione gasped.

Draco took another sip of his coffee. He smiled reassuringly, "I'm sorry. Does it upset you? Don't worry, he only ever did it the once. He felt horrible afterward and tried to not lose his temper with me again. He actually isn't as bad as you probably imagine."

She took another sip of her coffee, deciding she would reserve judgement of her…. Father in law. That was a scary thought.

Forcibly making herself change the subject she said, "So what shall we do today? Lounge about? I suppose I ought to let Harry know I didn't get kidnapped or any…. Well, not kidnapped by an evil person anyway," She said with a chuckle.

"Of course. And we have our date this evening to look forward to." He reminded her. He felt a bit more comfortable the more she acted like everything was ordinary.

"Oh. Right," She said softly. _This is so much to take in…_

He sipped his coffee. Her face suddenly looked anxious, so he asked, "Are you alright Granger?"

She sighed and put her cup on the tray. "I guess so. But it's so weird! You're still calling me Granger and that's not even my name anymore and somehow I slept with you without even _sleeping_ with you, you know what I mean. We've never even been on a date before and now we're married! And there's so many things to do and plan and-" She let out a frustrated growl.

"I'm sorry I keep reverting to what I've always called you. I'll try to remember. We can work through the plans together, alright? I'll shower and change and you can do your own morning routine and then we will go to breakfast together. Then we'll see Potter and straighten things out with him. He already knows I'm Veela anyway, remember? Then we can talk about making an announcement to the papers and the school. Hell, we can have McGonagall make the announcement this morning and by Monday, it'll be old news."

She nodded, grateful he was so understanding of her worries. "And by this evening send out an announcement for the evening post, so lots of people will miss it, right?"

He nodded with an admiring look on his face. "Our date will be in Muggle London, alright? Then no one will recognize us."

She climbed over the bed and hugged him, "That sounds like a plan. We just need to decide if we're going to do an official wedding or not, right? I mean we don't really have to-"

"Do you want to?"

She pulled back and looked at him in the face, uncertain. "Maybe…. Maybe after. Maybe just let's tell people we are dating, how's that? Is that ok?"

He grinned. "Just so long as you still accept me as your mate, the names don't matter."

"I still accept you as my mate," She answered and kissed him gently. He grinned against her mouth and pulled her to him, one hand on the back of her head and the other on her hip. When she gasped, his tongue tangled with hers.

Hermione readjusted her angle and kissed him harder, trying to ignore the small sound that escaped when her body immediately demanded she press herself against him. Before things got too heated, Draco made himself pull back, kissing her a few more times, but more chastely. "Come along…" He kissed her once more, "Hermione. We should get to breakfast or I'm liable to eat _you._ "

Hermione laughed. She stood and went back to her room feeling confused about everything but still… happy.

Draco had often made her feel relaxed and silly. He was very considerate and always strived to make her feel safe. Her crush had been strong and still was. She still liked him a whole lot. But there was this whole other side of him she hadn't really considered yet. He was very obviously a sexual creature.

When she had woken up, one hand had been cupping her breast and there was a hard _thing_ poking into her bottom. She bit her lip at the memory of how _that_ felt.

Not to mention how easily and naturally they had snogged on the couch the night before. As far as first kisses went, she was pretty sure that was the best one ever. She wasn't really sure what to make of her own body's reaction to him, either. Probably she was reacting so strongly because he was the first person to ever lay a hand on her in such a way. Or maybe it had to do with the Veela. She wasn't sure.

She showered and dressed, choosing a warm purple sweater and jeans. She met Draco in the living room where he was already waiting, wearing his customary black clothing and they went to breakfast.

When they arrived in the great hall, it was about half full. A sea of voices and clattering utensils stopped as people started noticing their arrival and nudges started alerting others to their presence. A nervous tingle went down Hermione's spine as eyes started focusing on her. She looked at Draco and he looked down at her, equally confused. While they went to the teacher's table, whispering spread throughout the hall. Hermione looked around for Harry. He was sitting near the end of the table with a fork full of eggs half raised to his mouth and an expression of shock on his face.

Hermione sat next to Harry and Draco sat on her other side. "Harry?" She said in a low voice. "Why is everyone staring at us?"

Harry seemed to notice the fork in his hand and put it down. "Hermione, what happened last night?"

"Well… Draco told me what he was and who I am to him and… Harry what's that got to do with anything?"

Rather than answering, Harry turned and grabbed the Daily Prophet from the seat next to him. "It's got everything to do with it," He said as he placed the paper in front of her.

 _ **Golden Girl Married!**_

 _By Rita Skeeter_

 _Through an unnamed source, this reporter has learned that the golden girl herself, the one and only Hermione Granger, has finally married! To whom, you ask my dear readers? Why, to long time suspected beau_ _ **Draco Malfoy**_ _!_

 _As reported two years ago, the golden girl dramatically destroyed the golden trio when she claimed she was a lesbian to end her relationship with Ronald Weasley (update on Mr. Weasley's love life and feelings on the matter, page 3). Now, after what can only be described as a torrid love affair, doubtlessly lasting throughout their shared college experience, the new Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy tied the knot in a secret ceremony just last night! It can only be assumed that the next generation of Malfoy is already blossoming…._

Hermione sighed. "Well, looks like that old bug is still up to her old tricks."

"Bug? Draco said in confusion. Then it dawned on him. "Oh. Right." when she looked at him, Draco smoothed a hair away from her face and heard someone nearby say 'aww'. _Great, now we're a spectacle._

He heard the wheels of headmistress McGonagall's chair coming behind him.

He turned and saw the headmistress smiling tightly at him, then she said, "Good Morning, Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy. I see you've noticed the paper this morning. Would you like to discuss an official announcement for the students?"

Hermione spoke up, "Yes, please. I have a plan for announcing to the press, now, Draco. We can talk about it later."

He nodded and said, "It's true that we're married but obviously it's not because Hermione is pregnant. My family is very invested in keeping the Veela heritage a secret, so how should we say we got together and all that?"

"You could say that it's frankly none of their business," Harry said grumpily.

"Harry! Why that's a great idea!" Hermione said, grinning. "Minerva, can you just-"

"Tell the whole student body they're a bunch of nosy dunder heads? Why certainly."

Hermione gave her a grateful smile and McGonagall rolled to her speaking podium. "Your attention! Your attention, please! I have only a few things to say and then you can go about your breakfast. Regarding the Prophet this morning allow me to set the record straight. Yes, two of your instructors are now married. It's one of the drawbacks to being famous that they were robbed of the opportunity to tell you themselves. Now, perhaps you might begin to understand why they kept their relationship private and why, in light of these events, they are asking all of you to please respect their privacy."

Many faces in the hall were frowning, looking ashamed. Quite a few looked like they just didn't care.

"Do try to remember that gossip column reporters are paid to sensationalize the stories they report on. The only thing in that whole article which is true is that your Potions and History of Magic professors are married. I'm sure you'll all agree a congratulations is in order." She began clapping and the students followed suit, there were a few who added a shouted congratulations, as well.

After that, the headmistress went to her place at the table and began eating. The students chattered and Hermione felt a huge weight lifting off her shoulders.

True, she would have liked the opportunity to announce the relationship in her own terms, not to mention have an elaborate wedding, but it was a thousand times less stressful to have it announced this way.

A/N: HI! Thanks for all the reviews and favorites and follows! I hope you guys like this chapter! They're so tuned in to each other. Sigh, it even makes my husband all gushy when he betas for me.

Things are going to start wrapping up soon. I'm trying to outline the coming chapters in a way so this stays right around 20 chapters, maybe with an epilogue. The chapters are going to be a little longer I think, just to keep me from having to make some things (i.e. the acceptance ritual) glossed over. So expect it to go from 3,000 to 3,500 words per chapter (as it has been) to about 3,500 to 4,000 words and up for the chapters to come.


	15. Time Well Spent

"Have you noticed that the universe seems to be against us?" Hermione asked once Draco had begun to eat his breakfast.

He snorted a laugh at her sudden question. "What are you talking about Granger?"

"I mean," She sighed and put her head on her hand. "Never mind, I think I'm just being paranoid. Anyway, Harry how was the party? I'm sorry that we missed it."

"Oh, nothing too interesting happened. Hannah was sad not to see you, but… well I told her afterward and she's going to speak to you soon. She's not mad or anything," Harry said with a strange look on his face. "She started crying." He shook his head. "Pregnancy hormones are _really_ weird."

Hermione laughed. "When is she moving to the castle?"

"When her contract ends. It'll be about three weeks or so. She stayed last night, but she had to go back to London this morning."

"You won't hog her to yourself when she moves here will you? You'll let me spend some time with her, won't you?" Hermione asked. Harry and Draco both laughed at the feigned pleading voice she used.

"Of course. As long as Draco says you can come out to play-" he was interrupted by Draco bursting out laughing on Hermione's other side.

"Must you?" Draco said, wiping coffee off his chin.

Hermione was giggling too and wiped a drop of his coffee from her hand. "How undignified!" She teased.

A majestic owl dropped a letter in front of Draco, interrupting their laughter. "Oh great," he said, rolling his eyes, "And I was having such a pleasant morning."

Hermione glanced at him, then the letter, then back to him. "Your parents, I take it?"

"Who else. Probably demanding to know why I didn't tell them immediately that you'd accepted me." He sighed with a slight smile, still grateful that she had accepted him so willingly. He opened the letter and read his mother's perfect cursive. He folded it calmly and resisted the urge to burn it. "It seems our presence is required at the Manor for tea this afternoon."

Hermione blanched, " _The_ Manor?"

He raised a sardonic eyebrow at her and answered, "Of course. As rich as we are, there is only one Manor among the many properties we own. That monstrosity is priceless."

Hermione smirked and Draco felt a small flutter in his chest at her unconscious mimicry of him. "Naturally. Is it… _The_ tea service?"

Draco frowned. "I think she means it to be."

Hermione huffed. "I quite dislike being told what to do."

"I know. Is it alright? I can tell her we will schedule a different day, if you like."

Hermione smiled and answered, "No, it's alright. It'll probably be better to just get it over with. But thanks."

"What's the tea service for?" Harry asked from her other side.

Draco leaned forward and answered, "It's a ritual for the family to officially welcome Gr- well, Hermione into the family. There's a lot of blood magic and old spells that are interwoven into the Malfoy properties. Hermione can't access them or even touch some of those materials without becoming ill or injured."

"Really? That's interesting. Maybe I'll have some of the kids to a project on that…" Harry said his voice dropping as he focused more inside his head, planning and arranging the possibility.

"What exactly does it entail?" Hermione asked in a small voice, suddenly realizing she was woefully unprepared for a formal tea service.

"An awkward chat with my mother, mostly. Father will be there but he'll likely be uninterested in the whole thing. Then there's a ritual in which a bit of your blood will be taken and-"

"Ew," She said, crinkling her nose adorably.

He chuckled, "Then they take your blood and use it in making a piece of jewelry that you wear for the rest of your life. You know, that old chestnut."

Hermione laughed. "You Purebloods are _so_ weird." They finished their breakfast, Hermione even ate an entire slice of toast at Draco's insistence. She felt a little nauseous, but that was normal for her if she ate in the morning.

When they made it back to Draco's room, Hermione asked to look at Draco's Veela books. He showed them to her and she selected the most detailed ones. Draco asked if she wanted to stay in the main room or go somewhere else.

After some thought, Hermione decided that running away to study the Veela stuff would be just delaying the inevitable. She needed to be used to sharing her living space with him, so she may as well get used to it now. So she settled herself on the couch and Draco selected his own book to stare at while he dealt with the myriad of emotions he'd not had time to process yet.

Hermione was engrossed in the literature for more than an hour. What pulled her out of it was a warm pressure landing on her shoulder.

She saw that Draco was resting against her and was apparently… asleep. She softly called his name but got no response. She summoned a blanket and covered him, struggling silently to get him to lay his head in her lap. After some effort, she managed to get herself comfortable enough without waking him.

Hermione watched as he resettled himself in her lap. There was still lots of time before they would need to go to the Manor. She wondered why he had been so tired lately, it didn't seem like him… and they hadn't gone on a run for a few days. Her eyes turned back to the book she had just been reading, deciding to think on it later when she could ask him about it. Maybe he just had caught a cold.

She tried to keep reading, but she was distracted several times by how adorable he looked in his sleep. He had very long eyelashes that she would never have noticed because she was always too focused on discovering the emotions in his eyes. His long nose suited his face quite well, too… now that he'd grown into it. She brushed the front of his hair off his forehead and watched in fascination as he smiled in his sleep. That brought her attention to his lips and she was nearly tempted to trace his full lips with her finger.

A long pensive moment passed in which Hermione thought about everything she knew of her husband. She smiled shyly and ran her fingers through his hair again, simply to enjoy the texture. He made a small noise in his sleep and moved his head slightly.

Shaking her head, she tried again to concentrate. She had just read Veela and their mate would have stronger magical cores once they mated, so she read on, ' _The Veela males begin losing their magic in the very rare instances when they wait after identifying their mate. At the end of the first year, the loss is barely discernable._

 _However, as in the devastating case of one Veela male, E. Black, if he waits more than five years after identifying his mate, his magic can drain rapidly. In the case of Mr. Black, his magic deteriorated so fast, he went into a coma shortly after being accepted but before the mating ritual was performed. He died even after every attempt was made to perform the ritual._ '

Hermione's heart dropped. She read the passage again. One of Draco's ancestors had apparently waited too long… Draco had told her he had also waited too long and that's why his Veela had blurted out the truth before he was ready. The realization hit her when she remembered that he had transformed rather than using his magic to bring her back to the castle. When had she seen him use magic last? When he had transfigured the chair for her? What if his magic was deteriorating?

Hermione bit her lip and frowned. So deep in thought, she didn't realize that Draco had opened his eyes. He was looking at her sleepily and with a soft smile. In a quiet voice, he asked, "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?"

She laughed in surprise. "I'm reading." He yawned and she said, "Is your magic weaker?"

He rubbed a hand over his face and debated answering. "Where's this coming from?"

"The devastating case of E. Black. I just read about it."

He groaned and sat up. "You shouldn't worry too much about it Granger, we still have time."

She gaped at him, "Why can't you just answer the question?"

"Because you're just going to work yourself into a tizzy and try to save me from my literal inner demons." He said while standing.

"So your magic _is_ decreasing."

He sighed. "Do you want something to drink? A snack?"

"How long has it been decreasing for? Are you certain we have the fortnight you believe we do? I can't believe you would try to keep this from me!"

He sat back down and stroked her cheek. "You get the most beautiful flush when you're angry. Did you know that?"

She smacked his hand away in frustration, "Draco! Answer me!"

Smirking, he dipped a hand into her hair and then kissed her. Her frustration was poured into his lips when she nipped and bit at them. Trying to pull away, but at the same time her hand wrapping around his side and holding him in place. When she whimpered in aggravated passion, he pulled away from her, holding her still with his hand in her hair. "Yes, my magic is weakening. I was not keeping it from you for a malicious reason. I don't want you to rush yourself because you're worried about me. That's why E. Black died. His mate was trying to save him, but that didn't make her ready."

"You keep saying ready like it's something you're going to know before me. It's my body. I'll know."

He rested his forehead against hers. "You're right. I'm sorry. It comes down to you shouldn't ever feel like it's for me."

She nodded and kissed him once more. "When are we expected at your… at the Manor?" She asked.

He glanced at the clock nearby and answered, "In about an hour and a half. I can't believe I slept so long. It's already noon! Are you hungry? We can eat here if you like."

"Yes, and while we eat, we can talk about my plan to get back at Skeeter."

He nodded and called out for a light lunch to be made ready for them. They sat down to a spread of soups and salads, along with some sandwiches and crisps. She told him she wanted him to contact Pansy, the now editor at Witch Weekly and offer an exclusive interview with the obvious clause that the Veela would remain off the record. Then she would be contacting the office at the ministry to offer a tip that Skeeter was an unregistered animagus.

Draco agreed that the best way to get back at the reporter was to undercut her scoop and going through Pansy meant they could control the message.

"How do you think she found out, anyway?" Draco asked once all that was decided.

"She probably turned into her beetle form, right?"

"All of the spells that Cassie cast were to make sure no one could hear us, though. Don't you remember? She cast the spell to remove all enchantments."

Hermione thought about that. "I remember, now that you mention it. What about the paper we signed? Was it public? Ginny found out you were engaged just the other day because the record was open so…"

"Oh, of course. The Pureblood register is magically kept up to date." He nodded. "That nosy woman must have an inside source or else snuck in to have a look."

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"You _really_ don't like her, eh?"

"Nope."

"Want to share with the class, _why_ you dislike her so?"

"Nope."

"Ah, so it _is_ because of the lies she's printed about you."

Hermione glared at him.

"I see," Draco said, sitting back in his chair and smirking at her irritation. "And my little overachiever used blackmail to keep Skeeter out if her business, did she?"

Hermione kept glaring, only a blush started blooming across her cheeks.

"My, my. The goody goody actually does have a bad side. It seems I owe Blaise a few galleons."

"You bet on something like my personality?" Hermione asked, confused.

"You do remember that you're one third of the most popular trio from our school days, don't you?"

"Me? Popular? I mean, I know people want to read about Harry, me, and Ron, now, but we weren't popular in school."

He looked at her as though she had sprouted a second head. "Of course you were, Granger. Everyone always talked about you lot. Whether it was good or bad, you were always a topic of conversation. Trust me. I noticed."

"When… er… when did you identify me as your mate again?" She asked.

"When I came of age, 17."

 _So it has been five years._ "And you paid attention to that stuff before then?" She wanted to know.

He smirked, "Of course. Looking back, I ought to have known the whole time. I was near obsessed with you three. I would get angry whenever someone suggested that you were _with_ Potter."

"Ew," She said again, crinkling her nose again.

He laughed. "I can't control the jealousy. It's better now that you've accepted me but… probably don't hang around Potter alone until after we mate. Just to be safe."

Hermione frowned, displeased with the warning. She understood why he said it, but…

"Don't look like that, I just mean until after we mate. It's just a precaution. Afterward, I'm sure it will be fine. I'll have much more control." Draco answered in a cranky tone.

She gave him an indescribable look and answered, "I understand. It's just going room be hard. He is my best friend."

Draco took her hand across the table. "I know. I know it's not fair. I'm sorry for that."

She sighed. "It will be fine. I knew it would be like this, but it's just weird to hear it."

They finished their lunch and decided to get ready for the tea service at the Manor. Hermione decided to wear a knee length, Empire waisted pale grey dress she had worn to a wedding last fall. She paired it with a pair of fashionable red heels, matching bag, and some diamond earrings her mother had given her an eternity before. She pinned her hair back quickly and went to meet Draco in the sitting room. She was surprised to see him wearing a full suit. He had been staring pensively into the fireplace, with a hand in his pocket when she exited her room and he looked at her like a starving man. "You…" He cleared his throat, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself."

He came to meet her in the center of the room and kissed her forehead. "Hermione, I have… I have something for you."

She waited, both smiling and frowning at once. "It can't be anything worse than telling me I'm your mate. Why do you look so worried about it?"

He smiled tightly, still uncertain how to go about this. He put his hand in his pocket again, fingering the box there. "I'm just not sure how to say all that's on my mind."

She hesitated, watching him more closely, "Draco," She said with a half-hearted laugh, "What is it? You're scaring me a little."

His eyes softened as he remembered that she was as confused about this whole thing as he was. "I've watched you from afar for so long. So many days were spent simply enraptured by your personality. Did you know that? It sounds so stupid but I actually fantasized about what an amazing person you are. I never realized you were better than anything my twisted little heart could imagine, much less deserve."

Hermione frowned, "That's very sweet Draco but…"

He stroked a thumb across her cheekbone, reverential. "How can I feel so strongly about you? How can I ever express how wonderful you make me feel just by being nearby?"

Her face softened as he spoke and here she smiled, softly and still confused.

"I could blame it on the Veela and say it's just natural, but I've seen you with others. You are such a caring person, so compassionate I don't think that English can even express it. So intelligent I'm almost afraid to speak, for fear of being wrong and disappointing you. So… just _Hermione_ that I can't wait to know everything about you." He took her hand in his and kissed the back of her knuckles. "If I'd ever done anything right in this relationship, I would have told you all of this years ago." He pulled the box out of his pocket and flipped it open with his thumb without looking at it. "The only thing that I would ever regret in knowing you is waiting to try to know you better. Will you let me spend the rest of my life making up for that mistake?" He finished and presented the box to her.

The rings were a matched set, designed to fit together. The engagement ring was a princess cut alexandrite, beautifully cut and surrounded by diamonds. The center stone constantly changed from red to green, sometimes golden glints shone through. The bands were glimmering platinum. Hermione gave it only the barest of glances before she was jumping into Draco's arms. She was crying and laughing and kissing him and somewhere in there she was saying "Of course I will, don't be stupid!"

Draco was laughing at her and kissing her back when he could, his heart bursting with joy.

Hermione was a giggling joyous mess. She hadn't even thought he would bother to propose or anything, she really just thought he would just hand her the rings and that would be that. Draco had surprised her not with the 'proposal', but with the blatant soul bearing speech that came before it. He had been closed off for so long that any instance of his inner thoughts were like sun shining through a cloudy day. It lit her up.

He took her hand and slid the engagement ring on her finger, holding the wedding band. "I'll just hold this until the proper time, shall I?" He said with a smirk and haughty tone.

She rolled her eyes and answered, "Yes, dear. Now should we head to see your parents?"

He offered his arm in a formal gesture, which was perfectly executed except for the silly grin he had on his face. Hermione snorted laughter and took his arm.

They needed to go to McGonagall's office to Floo to the Manor so they leisurely made their way towards it. When they passed in front of the entrance hall, they heard a shout followed by running feet. Hermione turned to find the source of the sound and saw a ginger-haired former-friend racing in their direction, followed closely by the Boy Who Lived.

"Great," Hermione muttered under her breath. "Let me try to talk to him," She said to Draco and without waiting for a response, she stepped between the approaching pair and her husband.

When Ron reached them, he was panting and red faced from his exertion. "Ronald? Is everything alright? You look angry," Hermione said, as calmly as she could. Harry ran up behind Ron and watched the redhead wearily. Draco was growling softly from behind Hermione. She longed to take his hand and just run from this stupidity, but she _needed_ to nip it in the bud.

"No I'm bloody well not alright! Harry's just told me you're with the ferret! The Prophet says you got married and didn't even tell me!" Ron answered, his voice loud. Hermione briefly thanked whatever gods there were that there weren't any students about.

"Yes I am with Draco. He's my… well he's my husband." Draco's heart was beating triple time. She had just publicly called him her husband. He was internally screaming with joy.

Ron's ears went redder than ever and his face soon matched them. "How can you be with that slimy git? I can't believe you! What, so you've been fucking him all this time?"

Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in tired irritation. "Again with this?" She began.

"Ron, for the last time, it's none of your damn business who she spends her time with, you've been broken up for years! You don't own her!" Harry said in an exasperated tone, interrupting Hermione.

"I do if she's fucking Malfoy!" Ron screamed back, furious.

"Ron, you're embarrassing yourself. Come on mate," Harry agreed with an eerie calm voice. "You're being rude to one of your former best friends."

" _FORMER?"_ Ron bellowed, staring incredulously between Harry and Hermione.

Hermione sighed, tiredly. "Yes Ronald. Former. I have told you on numerous occasions I do not wish to be your friend. You are a horrid friend to me, because you cannot let go of our previous relationship."

Ron scoffed and crossed his arms dramatically, "Can't let go? What's there to let go of? It's not like we even did anything the whole time."

Hermione laughed, "Well, which is it Ron? Am I a slag or a prude? You've called me both in the last few minutes. I can't be both!"

"Ron, that's it, I want you to leave." Harry said in a tone of finality.

"Yes, I think that would be best," Hermione said, stepping closer to Draco.

Ron acted like he hadn't heard, "I can't believe you don't want to be friends anymore. What's the real problem, 'Mione? You on the rag or something?"

She took a deep breath to still the rage inside her at this idiot. "While I'm sure you don't mean to insinuate the only reason _you_ might be wrong is that _I_ am under the mysterious spell of a specific point in my menstrual cycle-"

Ron interrupted with a groan, "Aw, 'Mione,I'm not saying that, I mean that you're just being a bitch, for no real reason. We're friends! You can't treat me like this just because of your period!"

She smirked at him, unconsciously imitating Draco and leaned forward, "I know the menstrual cycle is a mysterious entity to you males since you don't have the experience for yourselves. Therefore, I'll speak slowly so you might be able to understand, alright?" He moved to speak, with an angry glare sent at her, but she continued, regardless. "Sometimes in the month a woman not have a period at all. That means she doesn't have all that icky blood coming out of her vagina. Why, there's a whole three weeks of it every month!" He tried to interrupt but she spoke louder, overriding him. "I am currently experiencing one of those weeks, you see. So your misogynistic argument is, at least in this case, complete bullshit. I _am_ married. You have no claim over me. You are acting like an asshole because you refuse to accept that. So you are trying to undercut me by saying I'm experiencing my menstrual or being a bitch, as though your actions can be justified if I happen to be bleeding from my vagina."

Draco sneered from beside her and crossed his arms. In a quiet- but gravelly- voice he said, "Perhaps we might all agree that your interest in the state of her menstrual cycle is really quite inappropriate."

Ron lunged at Draco but was caught by Harry- who had seen the move coming. Hermione's wand was in her hand and she had immobilized her former beau without remorse at the same time as Harry grabbed the man's arm.

She turned immediately to Draco and told him, "He's not a threat. I'm still yours."

Draco pulled her hand to him and restrained himself from mauling her clothes off to get at the sweet smelling flesh and claiming her where everyone could see. Instead, he kissed the back of her hand and adjusted the new ring sitting there. He smiled and Hermione saw that there were… fangs where his canine teeth should have been? His skin looked a little grey, too. She glanced at their clasped hands and noticed his fingers were tipped with talons now.

She told Harry over her shoulder, "We ought to get Mrs. Weasley to talk to her son, don't you think, Harry?"

"OR a shrink," Harry responded, magically elevating his friend. When he looked at Draco, he noted the partial transformation as well. He frowned and decided he ought not speak to Hermione right now, just to be safe. He began directing Ron's floating body, taking him toward the hospital wing. "Have fun with your in-laws," he said as he walked away.

A/N: See? The longer chapter wasn't so bad, was it? I'm sorry if it seemed a little rushed or clipped, I couldn't find the right words to make it all sound perfect. Sometimes it happens.

As always, thanks for all the reviews and follows and favorites!


	16. Interlude

In the hallway leading to Headmistress McGonagall's outer office, Hermione turned to Draco and stopped him. She looked at him carefully. He bore her inspection for a moment and when he couldn't take it any longer he asked, "What is it, Granger?"

She answered, "You had fangs a minute ago. Your skin turned grey. You had talons."

He nodded, "Yes. I did."

"Why did all of those things happen?"

He resisted rolling his eyes. She was being dense. "Because a rival for my mate's attention nearly assaulted her in the middle of the entrance hall and my Veela was ready to rip him to shreds had he placed a hand on you. Obviously."

She pressed her lips together and frowned. "I can handle Ronald Weasley."

"I know. You just did, after all."

"Then why?"

He looked around and realized they were standing out in the open talking about this. His natural hyper focus on his mate had distracted him from keeping his heritage a secret. He took her hand and pulled her into a nearby classroom which was thankfully empty. After he closed the door he asked, "Why _what_ , Granger?"

"Don't you take that tone with me Draco. I have every right to question why you were about to transform just because my ex boyfriend found out about us."

He stalked closer to her, his already heated temper flaring at her tone. "Maybe it's because you refer to him constantly as your ex boyfriend and not your ex friend, did you think of that? Hmm?" He was coming into her personal space now. Her scent increased with her anger and her anger was waking up the Veela. "Maybe it's because I can't control my magic well? Maybe it's because he was threatening you? Maybe it's because my pheromones will incite any suitors to either challenge or flee from me?" He was continuing to advance and Hermione walked backwards, not out of fear but just to try to stay out of his grip.

She knew he would want to placate her with pheromones or kisses or whatever, but he was speaking to her in such a way that she was getting angrier. "That still doesn't mean

you need to transform!"

She bumped into the wall on the other side of the room from the door, after traversing the whole length of the room in their ridiculous space war. He looked entirely predatory as he came up to her and rested his hands in the wall on either side of her, trapping her in place. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. Hermione could practically feel the war going on inside of him to control the Veela side of himself. "It does, little Hermione." He answered, giving in and ducking his head to breathe her in along her neck once he'd spoken. He stood straighter, looking down at her with stormy glowing eyes. "I have every right to be prepared to protect you. If that means transforming partway because my magic is unreliable, then so be it."

Hermione noticed then that Draco was pressed against her body fully. His hand traced the delicate tendon on one side of her neck, and he broke eye contact to watch it. "Ron would never hurt me," Hermione answered in a whisper, beginning to feel the tingles in her body in response to his delicate touch. She tried to ignore them. Draco couldn't be allowed to just transform when she was handling a problem!

Draco's eyes met hers again, his pupils stretched wide, ringed by glowing silver. "The Veela in me doesn't understand that. The Veela would make me release pheromones to enrage Weasel towards _me_ no matter the circumstances. His apparent mental instability probably would actively encourage him to seek me out and not you, anyway but _the Veela doesn't understand_."

"Draco," She started to say but his hand fisted in her hair. He made her look at him, and his eyes were filled with irritation and desire in equal measure. She tried desperately to ignore the clench of desire when he grabbed her hair, filing her reaction way for later examination.

He growled, " _I_ understand these things. The Veela does not. I can't control it, Granger. I'm sorry I have upset you, but you must understand I am unable to do anything. It is not a matter of thinking you can't handle yourself. I know with one hundred percent certainty that you can handle anything life throws at you. I know that you're likely stronger than me in that respect. The need here is to protect you _even though I don't need to._ You must understand that."

She sighed. "I guess I do."

"Then you're not upset anymore?" The hand not fisted in her hair gripped her hip. Gods but he wanted her.

"Not really. I'm still a bit… irritated but-"

Then he was kissing her. Hermione's whole body immediately clenched and arched into him, wanting him closer. He groaned against her and pressed her into the wall, desperation for her touch driving him against her.

The hand in her hair traced down her body alongside its twin and he found himself gripping her hips, angling them so he could shamelessly rub his burgeoning erection into the apex of her thighs. Something about having her angry had made every cell in his body desperate to touch her. Probably it was the Veela, seeking to make her happy again.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, dipped her fingers into his hair, and wrapped a leg around his hip as though it were the most natural thing in the world. She barely thought about what reaction her body was having or what her limbs were doing because her only thought was to be closer, to touch him more.

She whimpered into his kiss and Draco was fairly certain he had died and found heaven. One hand traced the thigh wrapped around him and he touched bare skin. His immediate reaction was to groan into her kiss and then follow the muscle under her dress with the lightest of touches, ready to stop at the slightest hesitation from her.

Hermione's hips were slowly grinding into his and she was fairly certain she should be embarrassed at how fast things had gotten to this point. She pulled away from him to breathe and also tell him they probably ought to stop, but his questing fingers had found a particularly sensitive spot where her bottom met her thigh and what started as, "Draco," to get his attention turned into a eye closed, head back, breathless moan of his name.

He buried his face in her neck and nipped, licked, bit every inch of her skin that he could while still keeping some form of finesse about himself while he stored _that_ memory away.

She felt a throb from his… penis and immediately ground her hips more sharply against him. His zipper of his pants were pressing _just_ so and she whimpered at the sensation. He pressed more insistently against her, one hand cupping her breast and the other tracing the line of her underwear where they wrapped around her cheek.

"Draco, really, we mmmm, Draco we need to stop," She said in a breathless whisper. He immediately removed his hand from under her dress and she felt a little warmth grow in her chest at his immediate response.

"Everything alright, Granger?" He asked, looking concerned. He forced his hands onto the deepest curve on her waist, trying to respect her desire to stop but not quite ready to let go of her yet.

"Yes, everything is fine. I mean, we just… we are supposed to see your parents so…" She answered, trying to ignore the throb of desire at his expression and well snogged face. He helped her balance as she put her leg down. She turned away from him and tried putting more space between them. His kisses were a torment she couldn't endure any longer.

She paused at the desk in the room, looking down and trying to calm her racing heart. She was starting to feel foolish in how quickly she had fallen into his arms even so close after their disagreement.

Draco turned to watch her, then leaned against the wall, trying to calm himself. After a moment of quiet, she looked over her shoulder at him and smirked. "You're going to start thinking I like you if I keep kissing you like that."

"Too late," He answered dryly.

She laughed and bent over the desk to put her hands over her face. The enticing view of her curved bottom even under the flowy material of her dress was all Draco could see for a moment. Then she moaned into her hands, "Why do I keep reacting like this?"

He came up behind her and pulled her against him, his erection pressing against her, though it was an afterthought. He felt a more pressing need to reassure her insecurity of her inexperience. He hugged her around her waist from behind, just enjoying the privilege to do so. "I think you secretly want me," He murmured in her ear. He nipped her earlobe and continued, "I wish you could feel how much I want you. I wish I had the time right now to show it to you,"

He slid his hands along the silky material of her dress over her hips. When she arched her back and pressed herself into him, he boldly followed her natural curves up to her breasts, cupping them. She moaned and threw her head back into his shoulder.

"Draco…" She whimpered. Her whole body thrumming in desire. She just wanted to kiss him forever, but all the kisses did was increase this feeling of desperation inside her. She pressed her chest into his hands, relieved and also more desiring of his touch at once.

"I know, little Hermione. Let's make the time. Let me help you." He whispered into her ear. "Would you like that?" He gave in to his own desire and traced her peaked nipples with his thumbs, then pinched them gently. He was fully ready to stop if she said no, but he needed to know how far she was from being ready for him.

She honestly didn't know how to deal with this level of arousal. She had never in her life felt like this. Every touch lit a fire within her. Every nibble added to the pyre. His voice, so obviously aroused, made her want to climb onto him and slip the throbbing erection at her back deep within her, and consequences be damned. He pinched her nipples harder, rolling them between his fingers, and she let out a strangled, "Yes, please."

Draco bit her neck once more and slid his hand under her dress and underwear without waiting for any more permission. She instinctively tried to shut her legs, as she had no idea how to handle someone else's hand between her thighs but he simply cupped her sex, putting slight pressure until she relaxed her legs and opened them again. He made a mental note that he may have been a _bit_ too fast.

Her whole body shuddered and she whimpered again when he slid a rough digit along the ultra sensitive skin of her vulva, helping to part the folds. He did it again, pressing harder and finding her slick juices at her opening.

He groaned, nipping her now reddening neck again and pinching her nipple. He teased a circle around her opening, enjoying her gasp and a bit surprised when her hips rocked slightly. He spread the juices up until he bumped into her hard little clit. He ran another teasing circle around her clit, noting her moan and arching back. He tried a few quick flicks of her clit and got the reaction he had been waiting for.

She bit her lip against a moan and arched her back, tensing and rocking all at once. "I could be doing this with my tongue, Hermione," He growled. "Try to imagine it. Imagine my tongue flicking across your clit like this," He set a more stable rhythm with his finger and plucked more sharply at her nipple, finally daring to bare the perfect mound to the cool room by pulling the front of her dress down. Looking down, he wished he could be biting and sucking on her nipple, but he didn't want to overwhelm her too much right now. "I could even slide my tongue into you like this," He said, abandoning her clit for a moment and slipping his finger into her channel. His throbbing erection once more took notice, taking the tactile information from his finger and imagining the same feeling around his cock. He bit her neck again, groaning at the imaginings himself.

"Please," she whimpered, totally awash in sensation. She was getting so dangerously close to orgasm. She just needed _something_ to push her over. She felt her hips pushing back toward him and she wanted to open her legs more. His erection slid through the cleft of her buttocks and she wanted to arch against it. She didn't know _what_ she wanted.

Draco kept his hand where it was, but slid himself from behind her and turned her to lean partly on the desk, totally unable to withstand her breast any longer. He kept thrusting his finger into her and took her nipple into his mouth, leaning against the desk on his spare hand. He pressed his erection against her leg and groaned at the sensation.

She gasped at the new sensation herself. He used his lips and teeth on her sensitive nipple, he was not shy about biting gently. And once it was appropriately hard and aching for his touch, Draco suckled the hard peak into his mouth while flicking it with his tongue. Hermione moaned and writhed and called his name, trying so desperately to reach the orgasm his assault promised her.

Hermione lifted her hand, simply wanting to touch him. When she felt his stomach under her hand, she traced his body through his suit.

His finger was suddenly back at her clitoris, flicking like he had before. She distantly heard herself moaning and felt the edge of the desk beneath her digging into her legs. He was dimly aware of her fingers digging into his arm and that he might be rocking his aching erection into her leg. Both were far too lost in finding her orgasm to notice anything else.

Hermione's orgasm ripped through her with a loud moan and Draco bit the base of her neck at the same time as she felt something wet on her leg where he had been rubbing himself.

He took a second to enjoy the feeling of her fluttering walls and pulsing clit before gently removing his fingers from her. He tried the best he could to move her panties back where they belonged without looking. Draco could only watch her face in fascination as the blissful expression and blush on her cheeks began to fade.

Her brain took a moment to reboot, but once it did, she sagged against him. He assisted her to sit on the desk behind her and after a tender stroke along the pale flesh of her breast, he helped her to readjust her dress to be covered. Hermione's whole body shivered in desire once he touched her the last time.

He pulled away from her and Hermione had to bite her lip to not jump onto him for another snog. He was flushed and his hair messy from her own hands running through them. To distract herself from him, she touched the wet spot on her leg.

She was surprised to see that his semen had left a large wet spot on both their legs. She poked it with her finger and was astonished to realize it felt quite a bit like her own juices.

Draco was still panting, but watching her. "Taste it." He said, in an encouraging tone. "You might like it."

She wrinkled her nose, "Why would I like it? Isn't it like pee?"

He laughed, "No. It's nothing like pee."

She looked at the finger which she had poked into the semen and hesitantly brought it to her mouth. She licked it. The taste wasn't bad. It wasn't really _good_ , but it wasn't bad. "It kind of reminds me of how you smell," She said after a moment. "Like your sweat. What does mine taste like?" She asked, uncertain but still curious.

Draco licked the finger he had used inside her and smiled. He licked it again. "It tastes really good. Tangy and a little sweet."

" _Tangy_?"

"Yeah, like…" He shrugged, "I don't know what to compare it to. Want to taste?" He asked, holding out his finger to her with a goofy grin.

"Ew! NO!" She squealed.

He smiled at her, "It's not gross. Would it make you feel better if I tried mine, too?"

"No. Just… maybe another time, ok?"

He captured her lips again, content. "Was that ok for you?" He asked hesitantly as he pulled away.

She leaned back against the desk, feeling like a teenager, awkward and uncertain. "It was ok. I guess… next time we can try you using your mouth on me. It is… intriguing. I guess I need to learn more about sex now."

He chuckled. "I guess so. Why didn't you ever look into it more?"

"Because… well I don't know. I was never really aroused by penises _or_ vaginas. I figured, given all the facts, that there was something wrong with me. So rather than force myself, I would worry about it when or if I ever found someone I wanted to marry."

"Sorry," Draco said sheepishly.

She shrugged. She pulled out her wand and using magic, she cleaned her leg and hand. Then she did the same for his pants and hand.

"Hey," Draco said after a moment of quiet. She met his eyes and he said, "Want to have some time to process? We can still cancel going to my parents."

She smiled gratefully at him and fetched a resigned sigh. "No its ok. I'm a whole lot more relaxed now," Then she laughed at his expression. He was looking at her with an odd mixture of pride, arousal, and amusement.

"I think I love you right now Granger," He said.

She met his eyes and saw that he was regretting having spoken _that._ "Well, how could you not," She said in a haughty tone.

He laughed, his mild embarrassment at his _second_ blurt of his love for her, pushed to the back of his mind. He kissed her once more and then stood straight, fixing his suit and readjusting his tie. Hermione watched after a quick glance at her own clothing and accessories to make sure everything was straight. He caught her watching and quirked an eyebrow at her. "What?" He said.

She smirked and Draco's heart gave a lurch of longing. "You look fine. Except your hair. I messed up your hair."

He withdrew a comb from his pocket and began combing his hair to the sounds of her giggles. "Of course you would have a comb with you," She said, laughing.

"Well, let's hope you brought the mirror, for my own vanity doesn't stretch that far. I believe you may want to examine your neck."

Hermione stopped giggling and placed a hand on her throat, a worried expression in her eyes. "Why? Did you mark me or something?"

"Mmm, not the way I will in the future. But I believe I left a hickey." He answered with a smirk.

Hermione was digging in her small bag for a mirror while he spoke. She gasped when she saw the small mark where her shoulder met her neck and smacked him on the arm when he laughed. "It's not funny! What are your parents going to say? And the students are going to see it!"

Draco just laughed harder at her irritation.

"Draco! Quit laughing!" She said, beginning to giggle a little herself. Draco took the mirror from her hand and stepped into her personal space again. He finally stopped laughing when she turned her chocolate gaze up at him, her eyes full of warmth and joy. He kissed her nose gently and then out of curiosity, he moved her head to the side so he could look at the mark. He gently blew on it and felt Hermione shiver. Then he kissed it softly and she sighed and clutched his arms in her hands. He whispered into her ear, "Come along Granger. I can't play with you any more, my parents will be waiting."

"Don't blame me," She answered in a quiet voice. "You're the tease here."

When he looked into her eyes once more, his eyes were glowing slightly and she wished that she was ready. That she could just open her legs and feel what it was like to have him connected with her. She bit her lip. He watched the motion, the predatory expression back on his face. "What are you thinking about, Granger?"

She reached up and touched his face. She even gave in to the urge to trace his lips with her thumb. He closed his eyes part way and his hands gripped her hips. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She answered.

When he met her eyes again, she wasn't sure if his eyes were glowing slightly still or not, but she did know they needed to get going. She tugged his hand to lead him out of the room and didn't bother to let it go when they were in the hallway. He gave her hand a soft squeeze when his own heart gave a lurch of longing once more. _Soon._

They made it to the floo fireplace and quickly flooed to the Manor.

Lucius Malfoy was leaning on his cane when Hermione arrived. There seemed to have been a brief conversation she had interrupted, but she shook off the awkward feeling of being an interloper to the family. Technically, she was. So she just needed to work toward being a member of the family. Obviously. She took a deep breath and reached her hand out, saying, "Thank you for having me in your home, Mr. Malfoy."

She was fairly certain she caught a flicker of amusement in his normally impassive face. He shook her hand and released it quickly while saying, "The pleasure is mine, I assure you Miss Granger. My mistake, Hermione, I suppose. Seeing as you're now family. Naturally, you can call me Lucius if you're comfortable."

She nodded. "Where is Mis- er- well Narcissa, I guess."

He made a gesture toward the door indicating he wished them to precede him and answered, "She is in the sun room awaiting us."

Hermione noticed he hadn't said anything about them being late and wondered if she ought to apologize. She left the room first and missed the knowing look Lucius gave his son and the subsequent embarrassed frown Draco shot his father.

 _Damn the meddling fool._ Draco was internally growling. His stupid father had just asked how well his potion was working today. Draco had been suspicious of his own behavior all day and his father had practically just told Draco there was something off about his potion. He had no doubt that his stupid parents had replaced the potion with a weaker version. No wonder he had blurted everything to Hermione and sleepwalked to try to find her and woken her up and _ugh!_ Draco fantasized- not for the first time- about skinning his father alive.

Everything made sense now.

The day following his parents visit, he'd lost control in the great hall. He should have known something was off. He would corner his father and find out what they had done. Then he would have to tell Hermione. He felt a weight drop onto his shoulders as he realized how upset she would likely be. She would probably feel manipulated, and even though he wasn't the one who did anything, he still felt responsible for not realizing it sooner.

He was almost grateful, he thought as they approached the hallway leading to the sun room. If he hadn't told her when he did, he might have transformed all the way if the Weasel had tried anything. That would have likely ended in the ginger's graphic death (which Draco wouldn't have minded, but Hermione would have been hurt no matter how much she disliked him now) as well as exposing his family's well kept secret.

That didn't make it right, however.

When Hermione turned into the sunroom, she was blown away by how lovely the room was. A large array of both magical and muggle flowers were in bloom and the sunlight shining through the high windows lit the room in golden hues. Narcissa was seated at a large elegant table in the center of the room and turned with a smile of welcome on her face. "Good afternoon, Hermione and Draco, please, won't you come sit down for some tea?" She said in a well practiced formal voice.

Hermione glanced at Draco for a quick reassurance and then went to the table with a shy smile.

A/N: Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews!


	17. Tea with the In-Laws

As Hermione approached her mother-in-law, she said, "Thank you for inviting us to tea. I'm so sorry we were running late." She pushed everything that had just happened with Draco to the furthest reaches of her mind. She didn't regret her actions but it was an improper time to be thinking about it.

Narcissa waved her apology off, "No need to apologize. Draco, darling, sit here, Hermione, yes just there, and of course Lucius here next to me," She said with a smile and approving nod at her son when he pulled the chair out for Hermione. They all sat and a semi awkward silence was broken by the tea being poured by Narcissa herself.

Hermione raised an eyebrow when Narcissa handed her a cup without asking her preference but dismissed it when she did the same to Draco and Lucius. The Malfoy matriarch might have a list of tea preferences for all of Wizarding London hidden in her bra for all Hermione knew. That thought made Hermione have to bite back a laugh. She cleared her throat to cover the snicker that might have escaped.

"Well, now. Tell us, how has it all been so far?" Narcissa asked, not directing the question at Draco or Hermione specifically.

Draco answered, "It's been nice enough. How are things here? I see your madrigals are recovering from the heat of the summer."

Narcissa gave Draco a look which, had it been directed toward her, would have made Hermione frightened. "Lucius dear, perhaps you ought to show our son the rest of the garden so he might entertain his newfound interest in herbology?"

Lucius smirked and Draco chuckled, "No need mother. If you're so keen to know, I've told Hermione and she has accepted me. She fainted soon afterward-"

Narcissa interrupted here to ask Hermione if she was alright in a concerned tone with just the right amount of sincerity. Draco _almost_ believed it. Had it not been for his mother only recently having professed to using Hermione to repair the Malfoy reputation, he might not have even thought twice about it.

Once Hermione assured Narcissa that she was fine, Draco continued, "I ensured her safety, brought her back to the castle, and she remained within my rooms for the evening."

Hermione blushed. Narcissa noticed. When Narcissa looked at her to see Hermione's reaction to Draco's words, Hermione watched the woman flick her eyes down to the small mark where Draco had made a hickey and a strange expression flickered across her face. Hermione tried not to blush any more than she already was and tried doubly hard not to think about how she got that small mark on her neck.

"And, pray tell, how did Miss Rita Skeeter find out about your late night nuptials, darling?"

"Oh, mother I haven't a clue." Draco said irritability lacing his tone. Hermione reached forward, gingerly took an elegant cucumber sandwich off the tray, and handed it to Draco with a small smile.

He took the sandwich and bit into it while Hermione spoke, "We think she may have an inside source in the registration office. A friend of mine recently got engaged and she said that Draco's name was in the Pureblood register as engaged just the other day. Is that a possibility?"

"Oh yes, I'd heard Miss Weasley was to be married." Narcissa said, with a small smirk. "Pass along our congratulations, won't you?"

Hermione stammered, "Uhyes of of course. Of course I will."

Narcissa nodded, "I suppose that Miss Skeeter could have an inside source as you believe. There wasn't anyone else who might have known?"

"That I told her last night? No," Draco answered, absently rubbing his fingers on the linen napkin in his lap. "Potter would never have said anything. He's the only one who knew I was going to tell her besides Headmistress McGonagall."

"I see. And how are your… accommodations, Miss Granger?"

"Hermione please. I quite like them. All of my things were moved. Even my cat."

A hairline wrinkle spread across the bridge of Narcissa's nose, "You have a cat?"

"Yes. His name is Crookshanks. He's very old now, but I think he still has a few years left in him."

Narcissa's gaze looked to Draco, as though for confirmation of the fact. He nodded, "It's an ugly thing, but -ow-" Hermione lightly slapped him on the arm with an expression of joking reproach on her face. "He seems nice enough. By which I mean I saw him for only a few hours and we've both lived to tell the tale." Hermione laughed lightly. Draco smiled at her and added, "I even built the damned thing a scratching post."

" _You_ built that?" Hermione asked, surprised.

Draco smirked at her and smoothed a stray hair off her face without thinking twice about it, "Of course I did."

She ignored the tingle his comfortable affection caused in her chest. "But your magic?" Hermione furthered, unsure if she should mention Draco's weakening magic in front of his parents.

"I built it without magic, Granger."

"You built something like a common muggle?" Lucius interjected, looking disgusted and impressed at once.

Draco met his father's eyes with a dark look, "Of course I did. Did you imagine it would be easy for the students to be near me while I was wooing my mate? I had to stop using magic."

"Draco, wait. You're not making sense, darling. Could you explain what you mean?"

Draco sighed and looked up for a moment, getting his annoyance under control and organizing his thoughts. "The headmistress sent me a letter confirming a suspicion. She informed me that some male students had been fighting, a few females had even fainted and she believed that I was the cause. Or rather the Veela was the cause. I believe it was the case, especially since-" Draco watched his mother carefully here, "My potion wasn't working well." _There_ was that flicker of guilt. His stupid meddling parents _had_ switched his potion for a weaker version. He continued in a normal tone, "She suggested I do something without the aid of magic. So I built a cat house for Hermione's beast- I mean cat."

Hermione smiled, unknowing of the anger Draco was trying to contain until he could throttle his father. "I can't believe all that fighting and the girls fainting was from you. Good thing Minerva figured it out. Thank you, Draco. That was very sweet of you, even if it wasn't your idea," Hermione said.

Narcissa was the picture of demure satisfaction. Not wanting to disturb the moment the couple of them were having, she chose instead to select a small tea cake and with a look at Lucius, served him a scone, buttered the way he liked. He nodded in thanks and Narcissa decided that the moment between her son and daughter-in-law had gone on long enough, "Now about the ritual," She began, "Have you discussed it with your mate, yet?"

Hermione was becoming mildly annoyed that Narcissa seemed to be mostly avoiding speaking directly to Hermione herself, rather directing her questions to Draco. Maybe it was a sign that Narcissa was uncomfortable? Hermione didn't really know. And why wasn't Lucius saying anything? He'd been quiet and had been closely observing everyone while the talking was going on. She took a sip of her chamomile tea with just the right amount of sugar and thought again that it was weird that Narcissa knew her tea preferences.

While Hermione had been thinking, Draco had been telling his mother, "Only the small amount that I know. Of course she knows that her blood is part of the ritual, the jewelry, and the purpose, but since I don't know the details, I couldn't inform her." Draco took an apple tart off the tray in front of them and placed it on Hermione's plate. This brought her attention fully back to the conversation. She smiled in thanks and took a bite.

"Well, that's all that really matters. The rest of the ritual is just to bind you to Draco and make you an official Malfoy. Have you decided on what jewelry item you'll use?" Narcissa seemed to be speaking vaguely toward Hermione, but then she glanced directly at Hermione, met her eyes, then looked at the ring glittering on Hermione's finger. "The wedding ring for that set, perhaps?"

"Come to think of it, Draco," Hermione said as she swallowed, "We hadn't spoken of it. The ring would work wonderfully but is it charmed to always fit my finger?"

Draco answered in a confused tone, "Of course. Why on earth would that matter?"

Now Narcissa gave Hermione her full attention and had met Hermione's eyes with an expression of calculating approval. She answered for Hermione, "For when she's pregnant. Some women swell while with child, Draco. If the ring isn't charmed, she might have to take it off."

Draco nodded, then he had to dig his nails into the palms of his hands and look away for a few moments when the Veela screamed within him. The thought of Hermione pregnant with his children sent the Veela into a frenzy of desire. Draco fought with it, and tried desperately not to release pheromones. _Soonsoonsoonsoon._ His whole body was tensed.

Hermione paused, noticing that Draco seemed a bit uncomfortable, so to reassure him, she said, "But not for a few years. I'm just thinking ahead. The ring seems like it would work perfectly well. What happens if I do have to take it off?"

Her words did help calm the Veela, but only because he could confirm to it that yes, she did want his children but that they would not be having them for some time. He didn't even care that she probably misread the situation, he was grateful regardless. So he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Narcissa ignored the strange interaction and simply answered, "You would lose the protection of the Malfoy name."

Hermione looked at her blankly. "What does that mean?"

Here Lucius finally spoke up. "Being a Malfoy means that you have certain protection charms about you at all times. It's part of the ritual you're about to take part in. You'll be protected from thieves who would steal from your person, from malicious touch, things of that nature." He waved a hand in dismissal. "You're protected by a Veela mate. The Malfoy charms are merely redundancy in your case."

Hermione looked at Draco with a confused frown, "What does _that_ mean?"

"I would kill anyone who would do you harm, Granger."

Narcissa scoffed, "She's your wife. Call her by her first name, for goodness sake."

"Regardless," Draco said, waving a hand.

Hermione took a sip of her tea to digest this information. She would really need to think about how she felt about all this soon. Once she swallowed, she said, "Well then. Let's try not to have someone try to harm me then." _Like Ron._

All three Malfoys smirked in eerie tandem.

Narcissa changed the subject to History of Magic and their classes for the last bit of the tea. The clock struck three and Narcissa said, "Oh, is that the time? Well, we should get to the ritual so you two might have some time to yourselves this afternoon. Shall we?"

Draco nodded and stood, holding his hand out to Hermione to assist her to her feet, trying to ignore the modest amount of cleavage he was privileged to see. She took his arm and they followed his parents out of the room.

They were led to the room which was set up for the ritual. Hermione had half expected to see a giant pentagram on the floor, even though she knew better. She blamed Hollywood. The room was an offshoot from the library and Hermione longed to take a peek. The center of a table in the room had a small dagger along with a cauldron and some potion ingredients. There was a book also and a folded square of cloth with a prepared bandage as well. Hermione saw there was a vial of dittany, and wondered why the bandage was there.

Draco took the box out of his pocket again and set it on the table. The silver of the band gleaming in the light. "Now, Draco. You and your father are going to go talk business while Hermione and I do the ritual, alright?" Narcissa said.

Draco growled, "I know. The Veela is not happy about it."

"Draco won't be here?" Hermione asked, feeling more frightened.

Narcissa smiled at her disarmingly. "It's just a little poke on your finger. I only need three drops. Draco would have been able to be here if he hadn't waited so long."

Draco growled again, though this time in annoyance at his mother. He took Hermione's hand off his arm and kissed her gently on the forehead while still holding it. Hermione shivered but felt a warmth in her chest at the gesture. She clung to the warmth rather than to the panicky feeling of not being prepared. Everything would have been easier if she'd known beforehand. But dropping it on her at the last minute was… she smiled at Draco, apparently the Malfoy way. She understood that Draco would never allow her to come to harm, moreso now than she had before. In fact, she was certain of it.

Draco's eyes started glowing a bit, just before she dropped her gaze. She missed the glow completely when they shone brightly for a moment before going back to normal because she was busy adjusting his tie in her nervousness. "It'll be fine, Draco. Your mother wouldn't hurt me. Maybe you can find a book for me to read in the library while you're speaking to your father?"

She looked up at him and he kissed her. He managed to keep it chaste but only just barely. She was ready. Finally she was ready. Now he would just have to help her _realize_ it. He would be able to mark her tonight or tomorrow, he was certain.

He could leave her easier now. Now that he was certain she finally trusted him. So he nodded and gestured to his father to proceed into the library.

Hermione watched him go, feeling a little weird. He had been right beside her for the majority of the last few days and to be in his home with his mother but away from him felt… weird. As soon as the door closed, she already missed him. And that was strange, wasn't it? Should she be feeling so attatched? Was it normal because of his Veela? She shook her head of these musings and looked fully at Narcissa. Her nerves hit her again, but not as bad.

"I've been where you are now." Narcissa said somewhat abruptly. Some of the finesse was gone from her voice, too it seemed. "Once upon a time, I had to do all of this, too. Lucius' mother was… a formidable woman to say the least." Narcissa took a step closer to Hermione and Hermione thought she might have seen a momentary nervousness about the woman. "I was terrified of her. She sliced my palm for her own amusement and when I found out she only needed three drops," Narcissa's brow furrowed into an angry frown. She huffed and shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't want that kind of resentment to damage further our acquaintance. It's already damaged enough. Would you like to look at the ritual before we begin? It actually only takes a few minutes."

Hermione listened closely to what Narcissa wasn't saying. She seemed to be asking forgiveness without actually asking for it. Or maybe asking for a second chance. Hermione would allow her in-laws to have a second chance, she decided right then. She remembered the conversation in the fog with Draco. Of the secrets he had alluded to. She understood now what she had missed then. He had been trying to point out she would have this opportunity to get to know his parents and he had come closer to asking her forgiveness than even Narcissa had.

She nodded to Narcissa and the elder woman led Hermione to the book. She looked at the ingredients, at the spell, and at the directions. After a few moments she put together everything in her head and understood all the parts of the ritual. Some of it was for fidelity, some for attraction between her and Draco. A larger part of it was for protection of herself and even for her to be protected from being abused by her husband. She was a bit surprised by that.

Of course the majority of the spell work was specifically for her to be considered a Malfoy by the wards of various properties and a mistress of the elves as well.

There was one bit she didn't understand though, so she asked Narcissa, "What's this part? I don't know what it says. It's not Latin?"

Narcissa smiled, "That is correct. It's in the language of the goblins. That part is so that you can access the Malfoy vault. You'll keep your own, if you wish, but the Malfoys have traditionally kept their wealth in the same vault for hundreds of years."

"You know how to say it or is there going to be a goblin here?" Hermione asked. The goblins still glared at her every time she entered Gringotts. _You steal from a vault_ _one_ _time…_

"I know how to say it," Narcissa answered.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked over the ritual again. Narcissa stood nearby, her own nervousness a barely concealed interloper to the room. She didn't know how to act around the girl. Was she supposed to be motherly or standoffish? Somewhere in between? She hadn't even thought about it beforehand. Draco had rushed things and she had been overwhelmed by the amount of issues she needed to handle between being released from Azkaban and now. Once this was handled, she could go back to catching up on her list of things to do.

Hermione stood straight again and said, "Ok, let's get started then." She noticed that Narcissa had looked worried for a half second before her mask came back. Hermione found herself looking at her mother-in-law in a new light. That she was nervous too, actually made Hermione calm.

What must it be like for someone to constantly hide how they were feeling, Hermione wondered as Narcissa started preparing everything. How difficult it must be. How exhausting. Hermione worried for a moment that the same would be expected if her and decided she didn't care. She would never be anyone other than herself. They couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

Over the next few minutes, Narcissa said the words, made the base of the potion, and moved her wand just like the book said. Hermione helped where she was supposed to, and she wondered if Draco had learned to brew Potions from his mother before Hogwarts. She really started to wonder about her husband's upbringing while she couldn't do anything other than watch.

Once the time came, Narcissa approached Hermione with the dagger and looked down at the petite witch with a sympathetic expression. "It will hurt, and for that, I am sorry."

It did hurt, but the blade was sharp and Hermione knew it would have hurt more if the blade had been dull. They said the last bit together as Narcissa squeezed Hermione's three drops of blood into the cauldron. Hermione took the square of cloth and held it to her finger as Narcissa finished it all.

Hermione's ring went into the cauldron and it sparked a bright blue in the room. Smoke, which had been billowing out of the cauldron, now reversed its direction and absorbed into the ring along with the small amount of liquid that made up the potion.

Narcissa turned off the burner underneath and said, "You'll have to take it. I can't touch it, I'm afraid. It shouldn't be hot."

Hermione looked into the top of the cauldron and saw the ring was glowing faintly in the shadow. She reached a hand in as carefully as she could. The sides of the cauldron were hot, she could feel the heat around her hand, but the ring itself was oddly cool to the touch.

"Don't put it on yet, I'm sure Draco will want to be here for that part. Only you and he can touch the ring, you understand that?"

Hermione nodded and examined the ring while Narcissa went to get their husbands. Hermione felt a little dizzy as though she had used too much magic… but she hadn't used any, only Narcissa had.

Narcissa led the men back into the room and was saying, "-k from the magic. Do you feel alright, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, still looking at the ring. "Just a bit dizzy, is all."

"Here sit down," Draco was saying, helping her to a chair. "May I?" He asked, holding out his hand for the ring.

Hermione gave it to him and Draco slid it on her finger, then kissed the back of her hand. Hermione felt a little better then. "Why did I feel dizzy?" She asked Narcissa over Draco's head.

"It's from the spell. It spreads your magic across to the properties, to bond them. I forgot to mention it to you beforehand. You should be feeling better already, I hope?"

"I do," Hermione answered. She stood.

Draco watched her wearily, looking for the slightest waver in her stance. When he didn't see anything unusual, he said, "Here I've found you this book. Have you read it?"

He handed her a thick tome with the title Magical Creatures: North America.

"Oh! No, I haven't. This looks very interesting!" Hermione said, stopping herself from opening the book right then.

Lucius looked from the book to Hermione's face and then asked, "Is all of your family so interested in learning?"

Hermione nodded with a smile. "My parents may be dentists but they are always reading and researching."

"What are dend-ists?" Narcissa asked hesitantly.

"Sorry, muggle tooth healers." Hermione answered, smiling. " _Dentists_ are important to keeping the muggles healthy."

Lucius shook his head in confusion and said,"I suppose you'll have to forgive us. We do not know much about the muggle world."

"That's OK! I'll find you some information."

Draco smiled and put a hand on her lower back. "Come along Granger." He said. His mother glared at him and he rolled his eyes. "Come along _Hermione._ We ought to head back."

She looked up at his smiling face and saw he wanted to be alone with her. So she nodded and they said their goodbyes. They flooed back to the castle, Hermione gripping the book in her hands.

That really hadn't been as bad as she had imagined.

A/N: Man oh man. This chapter was tough to write. I had some issues with time management, so please forgive me if it seems a little choppy.

Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!


	18. Questions

Draco and Hermione flooed back to the castle and decided to head back to his rooms for some relaxation time before the date they had planned. On their way, a few students stopped them to offer congratulations on their marriage. They thanked them awkwardly and went on their way.

When they had arrived back in his rooms it was only about to be four, so they decided to change into more relaxed clothing and then go for a walk around the black lake before dinner at seven.

Hermione entered her room and decided she wanted a quick shower to wash off the makeup she was wearing as well as her perfume. Thoughts of the events of the last 24 hours swirled in her head as the shower water ran over her. She had so many questions.

She'd already gotten some answers from the books Draco had loaned her, but there were still at least a hundred unanswered ones. How was she supposed to live with a man she barely knew, was one. When and how would she know when she was ready for him to mark her? Would his magic hold out? Should she be concerned about how aroused she was whenever he looked at her with that specific intense stare of his? Should she be feeling so attached to him already? What was normal?

Were they meant to be perfect for each other in _every_ way? Would that mean they would never fight? Because they definitely had fought a great deal in the past. They had just fought this afternoon for heaven's sake. She rinsed and stepped out of the shower to dry herself.

How would they make room for each other in their daily lives? And how bizarre it was to have such access to every aspect of his life! She would know when he went to the bathroom and how many times he straightened his robes in a day and how he liked his tea. She would be have to sleep with him, too. And soon. Not just have sex with him, though that was it's own brand of terror, but sleep in the same bed as him. She covered her mouth in a suppressed giggle when she realized he might even snore or talk or pass gas in his sleep.

He would know the same things about her, too. Which was both reassuring and embarrassing.

She would be able to write a book about him before the end of a year because they would have to be right next to each other pretty much constantly. As much as that appealed to her, it also worried her.

While Hermione was slipping into her shirt, her ring snagged in the fabric and she heard a small rip when she dislodged it. With her distressed "Oh no," Hermione took the shirt back off and looked at the small tear where the sleeve attached to the body. She shook her head irritability and grabbed her wand, repaired the shirt, and then slipped back into it, now more mindful of how exactly she put her hand through the sleeve. She sat down on the bed, staring at her left hand. The rings were very beautiful. They glittered very prettily against her skin and she really did like them. How had Draco known her tastes in jewelry? Was it a weird coincidence that the stone was one she would have picked for herself? Or that she preferred silver colored jewelry over gold? She frowned.

Her eyes took in the lilac colored walls. Her favorite color. Perfectly complementary to the duvet cover she had chosen over the summer.

How had he known any of that? That was very strange. Had he decorated himself or had someone else? Maybe it was her being paranoid, but Draco seemed to have a fairly firm grasp on her likes.

Did she have any clue about the same things about him?

She didn't know his favorite color. Or if he liked gold over silver. She didn't know what type of food he liked or whether he wanted children. She didn't even know what kind of ice cream he liked. She only really knew that he was very intelligent, handsome, witty, secretly a romantic, and had a penchant for black clothing and coffee.

She sighed and chewed her thumbnail in worry. How was she supposed to get to know him enough to have sex with him? She knew him a bit, but she really wasn't sure about a lot of things. _Come to think of it, how am I supposed to even know when I'm ready to have sex with him?_ Was there a checklist somewhere that would tell you when you were ready to lose your virginity? No. That was ridiculous. Every person was different about when they were ready to have sex for the first time.

She started braiding her hair absently while she tried sorting through what would constitute 'ready' to have sex for her. She felt mature enough, even though she had a bit of trouble saying (or sometimes thinking) sexual organ names, but that was just because she hadn't used them much. She trusted him to not hurt her, or allow her to come to harm, so there was that. She was also realizing that Draco wouldn't make her feel embarrassed for doing anything with him. He had made it clear to her that he was ready to wait, and she was even pretty sure that his willingness came from his own beliefs and not exclusively from the Veela. He gave her the impression that he was just as unsure of what to do as she was.

She knew already that she was very sexually attracted to Draco. Well, honestly, who wouldn't be? She thought back to earlier in the classroom and felt a flush run down her body. He just needed some practice in how to touch her. She could teach him. Maybe next time she would…. Oh. She would have to touch him as well. She blushed and her fingers fumbled in her curls. She hadn't realized that there was a lot of information that Draco had been taught, which she had not. Maybe he could… well, of course he would have to teach her how to touch _him_. But should she look into the basics beforehand? She sort of knew that a penis had to be treated carefully as it was very sensitive to pain but… wasn't there something about stroking it? Or maybe rubbing it gently? Oh, and then there was using the mouth.

She bit her lip and thought about that for a moment, trying to guess what it would taste like and what texture it would have and how she would make sure not to hit it with her teeth. Then she thought about how sex worked and thought that probably she ought to mimic that motion but with her hand or mouth. That… sort of thrusting motion. It felt good when she did that with her fingers and it felt better when Draco did it because his fingers were thicker. She squeezed her thighs together, feeling the tingle of arousal becoming stronger.

This was uncharted territory for Hermione. When she masturbated, she had only ever thought about what felt good until just recently. Sometimes she had thought about what lips would feel like _down there_ but not really outside of masturbating and really no further than that. She had only just had her first full fledged fantasy at the beginning of term. The idea of having sex had always been sort of gross to her. But something about being with Draco more often made her… more willing to think about it without that whole gross stigma to it.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly. Hermione really needed to get a handle on this whole situation. _Why couldn't he have just told me sooner…_ if he had, she would have never been so concerned about her apparent sexless nature. At this point she was almost as stressed out about discovering her own body's reaction to him as she was about losing her virginity.

She sighed and stood from the bed. She believed being closer to Draco would probably help her emotions. Maybe she should just ask him some of the questions she had. He might be able to help her understand it all.

When she opened the door of her room, she felt a smile bloom on her face. There was soft piano music playing. She found Draco sitting at a small piano tucked in the corner, tinkling away at the keys. "Draco?" She called.

He started slightly and turned quickly. "Oh. Hi. You scared me," He said with a grin at his own actions.

She shuffled her feet and looked at the ground. "Sorry about that." Then she swallowed and reached for her supposed courage. She looked up at him, "I was hoping we could talk about some things I have on my mind."

Draco stood up and swiped a hand through his hair. He'd been sitting around, bored out of his mind and lonely while waiting for her to finish her shower and dressing. His own change of clothes had only taken him a moment. He'd begun to get worried with how long she was taking, but he wasn't sure how long it took women to get ready. He didn't really understand why she had taken a shower, but now that she was in front of him, he saw she was no longer wearing that makeup she had donned to visit his parents. As he stepped closer to her, he also noticed that she smelled more like her and not like chemicals as she had before, and for that, he was grateful. She had smelled like fake flowers and he didn't like it. Now she smelled like apples and cinnamon and all the wonderful scents that made up his feeling of home. He wrapped his arms around her and simply held her for a moment, breathing her in. "We can talk about whatever you like. I have questions for you too. But they can wait." He pulled his upper body back and looked down at her. "You look a little upset, are you ok?"

Her eyes danced across his face, taking in his genuine concern and paleness. He was always pale, but he looked a bit more pale than normal. "Just stressing myself out. Come on, let's sit down. I'd like some water, before we head out." A pop near the sofa made her turn and she saw a glass of water and a decanter filled with water and ice sitting next to it.

"A glass for me, please?" Draco said, with a roll of his eyes. Another pop and there was a glass for him. When they got closer to the coffee table near the couch, Draco saw a folded parchment sitting next to the glasses. He picked it up and read it. He handed the paper to Hermione and she read it. "Well, that's inconvenient," He said of the paper once she was finished.

"How can she close the floo? A single person breaching the wards of the school isn't _such_ a big deal. And anyway, it was just _Ron._ "

"It is a big deal if reporters try the same thing. I'm just glad she waited until we got back to close it completely." Draco answered, trying to ignore the rush of possessiveness when she said her ex-boyfriend's name.

"How would they know if there wasn't already a reporter who got through? Or someone other than just Ron?"

His voice felt tight. "I'm sure I don't know Gra-er Hermione rather."

She grinned, "Your mom was so irritated about that, wasn't she?"

Draco smirked, "Yes. I was really wondering what she would do if she heard me call you that." He cleared his throat as the feeling went away. "So I suppose this closed floo business means we can't do a date like we had planned."

Hermione sighed and slumped back against the back of the couch with her arms crossed. "No, I guess not," She answered, pouting.

"Well. You said you had questions. Let's see if we can iron some answers out, eh?"

She laughed, "I think you messed up the idiom."

Draco waved it off with a haughty expression. "Unimportant casualty to the conversation."

She laughed and uncrossed her arms. She fortified her nerves with a sip of water and said, "Alright. Big question first. How is your magic?"

He sighed dramatically. "I suppose I won't be able to get you to just leave that question alone. Fine. My magic is abysmal. I cannot perform magic beyond a third year level. I'm afraid to try anything difficult, including brewing Potions."

Hermione nodded grimly. She had been expecting it to be much worse, so it was a little relieving that it wasn't as bad as she had thought. "Alright. Now tell me more about the marking ritual you keep alluding to but never actually talking about."

He grinned lecherously at her. "I could show you," And she rolled her eyes, taking the joke for what it was. "It's simple enough. Though it might sound a bit frightening, to warn you. During the course of us having sex for the first time, I will release pheromones and also trigger some enzymes in our shared saliva which will react to both of our magical cores. It's not something I consciously do, it's just part of the mating." He shrugged. "The saliva and pheromones become fully charged when we both orgasm, which will be simultaneous, as I understand it."

She raised her eyebrows, "I thought it was unusual for women to orgasm the first time?"

"I'm not sure. I think it depends on the woman, her partner, and their compatibility." He shrugged. "We have to have the other one in order to orgasm." _Shit shouldn't have said that._

Her eyebrows raised higher. "That can't be right. I've had orgasms without you." Then she blushed when she realized what she said. "Er- I mean…. You know. Everyone experiments…"

Draco cleared his throat and looked away uncomfortably. Hoping she would leave it alone and he wouldn't have to let her in on the shared bond that she probably didn't know about yet.

"Uh. What about the… um. Look let's just come back to that another time alright?" She said, uncomfortable beyond measure. He nodded eagerly in agreement. "Alright. The book I was reading said something about having a bond after the mating? But it didn't go into it anymore than that. Do you know anything else?"

 _Shit_. Feeling pressed and guilty about wanting to keep the information from her, he answered, "We already have a bond," while fiddling with the hem of his sweater.

She frowned. "What does _that_ mean?"

He sighed. "Look, you're not going to be happy about this. I just didn't know how in the world to tell you. There's an emotional bond that's created between us as soon as I have identified you as my mate. If I focus on it, I know what you're feeling and sometimes…. Sometimes what you're thinking about. Especially if it's about me. I had not been focusing on it until…" He chanced a look at her and she didn't look too furious. More confused. "Until beginning of term. When we were too close and I couldn't really control it. I'm sorry. I should have told you but it's just… how do you say something like that?"

He was blushing. And when he looked at her, he looked afraid. She did not like this side of him. Why did he look so guilty? She thought about what he had just said. _He knew what I was feeling since…_ beginning of term. Oh. She had that crush the whole time. So did he know about that? Oh and… and the fantasies she had begun to have. They had been about him. "Does it… does it go both ways?" She asked, trying not to feel too embarrassed. He hadn't _said_ he knew about her fantasies, maybe he just… didn't know about them. She could pretend.

"Yes, it does."

"How would I do that?"

"Well, it's happened a few times already. When we were with Potter and we all started arguing…"

"Hold on. You mean you're the reason I passed out, aren't you?" She asked with a frown.

He looked at her with a myriad of emotions flicking through his eyes. "Most likely." He said in a small voice filled with guilt.

Suddenly she was white-hot furious. Her eyebrows tightened in a frown so deep she was fairly certain she was creating wrinkles right that second. She had even pointed out that he was avoiding magical creatures! And he had avoided the damn question! She could have not been stressing about this at all if his stupid face had told her it was because of him!

But then the anger dissipated as suddenly as it had begun. He couldn't have controlled making her pass out, and he was apparently feeling very guilty about it. She remembered it must feel terrible for him when she was angry. She took a deep breath and looked away, considering the actions and decisions he had chosen. When she turned back to him after a moment, he seemed to shrink in fear.

Hermione reached out for him murmuring his name. "No, Draco, listen I'm not angry. I was for a moment because you should have just told me, but I understand." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, then his temple. She stayed close to him but looked at his face.

He examined her expression closely, looking for some form of deception, even though he knew she wasn't upset. He could feel her sympathy and understanding through the bond. She smoothed a thumb over his eyebrow and he relaxed into her touch. "I'm sorry. I just… I have to get used to the strength of your emotions. We feel things very differently."

She sat back a little but took his hand in hers, nervously. "What do you mean?"

He loved her more than ever then. "You feel everything _so_ intensely. Every emotion is bright and vibrant and all consuming." She nodded, it was a fairly accurate description, really. "But I don't. I feel things at a tenth of a degree that you do. Well, except love. That I feel at least a thousand times more strongly than you."

She smiled, "Is it a competition, now?"

He smirked back, feeling more like himself. He really needed to work on controlling the bond. "We'll see."

"How do you feel my emotions? Like if I wanted to feel yours, how would I do it?"

He thought about it for a moment, trying to ignore her close scrutiny of him and the butterflies in his chest and the simple _want_ to have her closer. "It's like… I just think about you and I know how you're feeling. I can't explain it."

She made a face. "Well, that's descriptive." She said sarcastically.

"Have you had any emotions that didn't feel like they were appropriate to the situation? Especially lately?"

She thought back and remembered several instances of seemingly inexplicable emotions. "Yes."

"They were probably from me." He answered.

"Like… well…" She blushed. "Like my increased libido?"

He licked his lips. "Most likely the bond has something to do with it. But merely being in close proximity makes us both more sexually aroused."

"Will that… stop? I mean after the marking?"

He smoothed a curl off her cheek and Hermione shivered. "Probably not."

"Great." She answered dryly. Then she stood. "Well, should we head out for a walk?"

The afternoon was spent walking around the lake a few times, until the sun started to set. A silly conversation left Hermione knowing that Draco's favorite color was blue, and was oddly relieved by the knowledge. Their conversation turned to their now defunct dinner plans, where Hermione offered to cook, but Draco insisted he cook instead. Hermione looked at him skeptically, "You cook?"

"I've many talents Granger. I've told you."

She rolled her eyes and answered, "Well, I'm still waiting on that list you promised."

"I'll write it tomorrow," He answered with a flippant hand wave, glad she found him funny. "How does bangers and mash sound?"

"Oh, that sounds quite nice." She answered with a smile. She hadn't had bangers in a very long time.

They paused before going back inside to admire the sun setting behind the castle.

They spent the evening together and Hermione was impressed by his cooking. When she congratulated him on it, his response was a raised eyebrow and smirk which made Hermione laugh.

They read for a while in front of the fireplace and Draco tried to ignore the swelling of happiness in his chest. He was content to just spend time with her, but he couldn't help but remember their kiss the night before. He became distracted when the clock began chiming ten, wondering if he ought to kiss her goodnight when they went to their beds.

"Draco?" She asked.

He started and met her eyes, his heart growing in adoration. "Yes?"

"I think I'm going to head to bed."

 _Should I ask her to sleep with me or let her have her space?_ "Alright," He answered, feeling amazingly intelligent in his answer.

"Should I… leave my door cracked? In case you sleepwalk again?"

He looked away, embarrassed. "I suppose that should help… if I do."

She nodded, deciding not to say any more. This all must be hard for him. For as arrogant of a person as he could be, this experience must be truly humbling for him. "Well, goodnight, then." She, stood, kissed him on the forehead, and walked to her room. When she shut the door, she smiled to herself at how calmly she had handled that awkwardness. She showered again, brushed her teeth, dressed in her pajamas, cracked the door, and lay down in bed.

Draco meanwhile sat on the couch trying hard to still his heart. She was just… amazing. How did he ever think she would reject him? They read each other so well already, and it had only been one day. He sighed and watched the flames for another moment. When he heard her shower shut off, his eyes began to droop. So he stood and went to his own bedroom for his own nighttime ritual.

A/N: Hey, I'm sorry! I know this chapter is a whole week late! I just couldn't find an entry to the chapter. I have half of the next chapter written already, so I should be able to get these last few chapters up on their normal schedule. Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites!


	19. Good Morning

A/N: Beware the mature content warning on this story. If you are under 18 or uncomfortable with descriptions of sex... well, turn back. How did you get past chapter 1? Also, this chapter is over 5,000 words and I am not sorry about it. In fact, lemme just throw out a you're welcome. Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! Enjoy!

During his shower, Draco thought back to the conversation he had with his father while Hermione was performing the ritual with his mother.

" _How have you and mother changed my potion then?" Draco began without preamble as soon as they were away from the door._

" _I've no idea to what you are alluding," Lucius had responded._

" _Is it possible for you to just once admit you've done something which is objectively wrong? No parent should do this to their child!"_

" _Do what exactly? Force you to live?"_

" _There was no need! I had told you already I was going to start-"_

" _No." Lucius stopped walking and when Draco turned and met his father's eyes, he saw an emotion in them he couldn't name. "You put yourself in mortal danger, Draco. For the sake of some righteous ideology which needn't have influenced you in the least."_

" _Get on with it. One day I'm sure you'll just get to the point rather than always sliding your way around it." Draco had answered, bitterness and impatience in his voice._

 _Lucius sighed. "I know you believe this whole postwar equality movement has some merit, but-"_

" _There's no_ _merit_ _to something which should just be true. She's a human being who is allowed to make her own decisions, that doesn't need a 'righteous movement' that's just logic and basic morality."_

" _What of your rights? Hmm? Veela are a dying species. You're only one of twenty witches or wizards in your whole generation with enough Veela in their ancestry to show the traits, much less identify their mate."_

" _So because I'm special, that makes it somehow fine to take away her choice?"_

" _Yes, of course."_

" _You're an idiot if you truly believe that. We should have the same rights, that's the point of all human rights campaigns, including gender equality, and especially including racial equality."_

" _We come from different times," Lucius said. "I know you feel strongly that I've done wrong, but I would do the same if given the choice again. You know that by not telling her, you had been making the choice for her? As though you knew better than her?"_

" _I realized it after our conversation."_

 _Lucius sighed again and Draco turned to look angrily at the books near them. He selected one at random, read the title, put it back and grabbed another. Somehow he felt this book was better._

" _There was no other real choice but to tell her," Lucius insisted again._

 _Draco made a face at the books and then turned to answer his father to his face, "I know. But you're cruel for changing my potion."_

" _Perhaps." Lucius answered, sadly. "I won't apologize, for I felt then and still feel now, it was necessary."_

" _Is this some obscure punishment for my part in the war? I will never apologize for being a spy."_

" _I would hope not. I've never been more proud of you as when I found out you'd been helping the Light."_

 _Draco's mouth dropped open in a wholly elegant gape at his father. After a heartbeat, he felt tears prickling his eyes. He took a shaky breath and answered, "Thank you father. That means more than you know."_

 _Lucius nodded. "I do also approve mightily of your mate. She's a wonderful woman. However-"_

" _Draco, darling, come along, we're done already," Narcissa interrupted their conversation, sounding a little rushed. Draco nodded and followed her, abandoning the conversation with his father in favor of making sure Hermione was alright. Narcissa continued as they walked the short distance back to the room, "I forgot that she might be weak from the magic. Are you alright, Hermione?"_

The conversation had been enlightening, but Draco was very aware that he had just given in without a fight to what his father had done.

He wanted to know what his father would have said if his mother hadn't interrupted him.

He wanted to get back at his parents but this exhaustion from not having Hermione marked was beginning to sap some of his anger.

He was concerned, but he couldn't really afford to put any energy toward anything but marking Hermione.

He wanted to mark her.

He climbed into bed and turned off the lights with a sigh.

Soon.

Draco woke up slowly. His internal alarm clock was whispering it was well past his usual time to be up. He felt that he had apparently bunched his covers into his… he moved his hips slightly, barely containing a desperate groan when his erection slid against a soft warm object. He was beginning to realize that the warmth he felt in front of him was not his own. This mystery caused his brows to knit together in a frown. He flexed a hand to try to figure out what he was holding as soon as he noticed it.

A soft sighing almost moan was the response to the flex and his eyes shot open. Hermione's bushy hair was contained in a tight bun at the top of her head but he could pick her hair out of a thousand just as easily as he could his own.

He took a deep breath in through his nose, realizing too late that his nose was buried against her sweet smelling hair. His whole body seemed to shudder in desire when Hermione arched her back slightly, rubbing herself against his straining erection.

Oh gods and she angled her hips just so and rocked back against him. He could barely breathe. She arched her back and pressed her breast more fully into his hand too, whimpering at the sensation. "Hermione," He groaned before pressing kisses and nips against her neck. He took his hand off the delectable pebbled nipple he could feel against his fingers, slipping his hand to her hip in an attempt to stop her sleeping self from rubbing against him any more.

When he pressed his fingers into the sharp angle of her hip bone, she moaned, "Draco, please," In a throaty whisper and Draco felt like his heart stopped.

"Hermione," He whispered into her ear. "Are you awake? Gods. Please be awake."

"Yes. Why do I… mmm… why do I feel like this? What is…" She moved her hips against him and he groaned, then nipped her ear in his passion. "Oh! Have I hurt you?" She was starting to put the pieces together and waking up all the way and registering how incredibly aroused she was and- oh no this time he was in _her_ bed.

"No," He growled in her ear, holding her hip more firmly with his hand. "Just… try not to move. It will… er... go away on its own."

"Why is it… you know… _there_?"

He chuckled, then smelled along her neck once more. "I woke up like this. You're a tease in your sleep, little Hermione. What are you doing in here anyway?"

"I was…" She had to clear her throat. "What do you mean in here? You're in my bedroom!"

He lifted his eyes and looked around, then he said, "I suppose I was sleepwalking?"

"Yes, you must have. Wait… I did this?" She asked with a little push against him with her hips.

"Mmm," He answered, nipping at her throat again. "Most men have an erection in the morning."

She blushed when he said 'erection'. "Well then don't blame me!"

He moved away from her, pulled her on her back, and then sat halfway up so he could look at her face. With one hand, he stroked from her face, down her throat, between her breasts, over her stomach, and finally rested it on a hip. Her eyelids closed slightly and she opened her mouth in a gasp. Her body throbbed in desire. He watched a flush decorate her cheeks and her eyes become less focused as she simply listened to her body for a moment. "I wasn't blaming you. We will always have this effect on one another. The barest of touches," He leaned in and kissed her chin, "The tamest of kisses," He moved a bit closer and rested his throbbing erection against her hip, "Will forever make me ache for you."

Hermione was aching herself. Her breasts felt heavy and sensitive against the fabric of her shirt, her nipples throbbing and aching for attention. Between her legs felt swollen and empty at once. She was already a bit overwhelmed but in a good way. "Draco," She moaned. His hand gripped her hip harder. "Can you…" She wasn't sure how to ask for what she wanted, unsure really of _what_ she wanted.

Acting on instinct, he raised himself onto his knees and kissed along her collarbone and then up her delicate throat to whisper in her ear, "Can I...?" He prompted.

She grabbed the back of his head and frantically kissed him, her own arousal demanding she touch him, kiss him. She found herself touching the bare skin of his torso and heard him growl against her.

She pressed her chest against his, again feeling the need to be closer to him. He obliged and she found herself spreading her legs when he straddled one leg and pressed one of his thighs against her center. A moan escaped at the relief and a louder one came out when she unintentionally pressed against his thigh. Draco groaned, moving one hand under her shirt to caress her stomach.

"Draco, please," She whimpered.

"You haven't told me what you want," He answered in a teasing voice.

She let out a shuddering breath as his words tickled against her increasingly sensitive neck. "I want… I want you to touch me."

"I am touching you," He answered as he nipped and kissed his way between her breasts. She arched against him and pressed herself more against his thigh. He sat back, spread her thighs around his legs and smirked at her. He took her hand and kissed it, "Touch you here?" He asked in a soft voice. When he looked at her, some of his hair fell across his forehead, again making him so handsome she could barely stand it.

"Not quite," She answered, nervous about what she was asking for. This little game he was playing was just the right amount of silly to keep her from freaking out.

He nuzzled into her stomach with his face, forgetting he had partly lifted her shirt until her warm skin met his face. "Here?"

She giggled when his morning scruff tickled her, "No."

He blew a raspberry into her stomach, smiling when her peals of laughter rang out through the room. He sat up and admired her smile again, then decided he needed to know what her joy tasted like. He leaned forward and kissed her again not realizing for a moment how intimately they were pressed against one another until he swallowed the first giggle. He groaned when her laughter vibrated her hips against his neglected hardness. She seemed to have noticed the same thing because her laughter turned to a whimper of need.

When he pulled back he deliberately thrust against her hot center and asked in a strained voice, "Here? Like this?"

She bit her lip and thought for a second. "I don't think… maybe not yet…" She answered shyly, blushing.

"Mmm, I have an idea, Granger."

She looked at him attentively. "What is it?"

He kissed along her throat again, focusing on the spot where her neck met her shoulder once he realized it made her loose several shuddering moans and grind her hips against him. "What would you say if I asked if I could... " He suckled her earlobe, teasing it with his tongue. "If I could taste you. Here," He thrust against her so she would know where he meant.

She hesitated. A heart beat or two passed. She bit her lip. "That's kind of... I mean… we haven't brushed our teeth or gone to the restroom…"

He kissed her lips once more, "I understand. We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I um… can you tell me more about… you know… using your mouth? Come to think of it, how do you know much about it?"

He hummed in thought, kissing her chest above her shirt. He pulled away from her and said, "Let me move a bit so I don't feel so… tempted." She nodded. He sat against the headboard and pulled her between his legs, trying to ignore the throbbing erection pressed into her back. "I had a tutor when I turned 16. He taught me various forms of pleasing a woman in preparation for being married. It's a common occurrence in the Pureblood families for the children to be instructed on how best to please their future husband or wife. Though, to be sure, my instruction was a bit different."

"You Purebloods really are a strange lot," Hermione said with a smile.

Draco took her hands in his and placed them on his knees then stroked along from her inner wrist to her inner elbow, up and around to her shoulders which he began to massage gently. "Only part of the instructions were for sexual intercourse. Some of it was for romance, some was for how to handle conflict, things like that." Hermione was relaxing as he was speaking. His soft voice and his hands relaxed her mind and body. Draco could feel her tension dissipating and was relieved himself. "It was essentially how to successfully mitigate through a marriage." He kissed the back of her neck and felt a lick of arousal flow through their bond. He kissed further down and noted her shiver and deep breath. He wrapped his hands around her middle and hugged her closer to him.

"What does that have to do with the question?" She asked in a tight voice. He smirked to himself, realizing she was trying to hide how she was reacting to him.

"It serves as an introduction to why I know more than you apparently do about something so important. Your body will react in ways you've never dreamed of. In ways that no other witch will be able to relate to. Some of it is because I know fairly well what I'm doing. Most of it will be your body reacting to the Veela. All of it is exciting and arousing to me. You needn't be ashamed of your reactions, nor try to hide them from me."

She nodded, beginning to get herself under control. "But, Draco. I don't really know _how_ to react most of the time with you. It's a constant worry of mine. I've never had these kinds of reactions to anything."

"It's because our bodies are dependent on each other."

She puzzled over that for a moment, remembering their conversation from last night. "The books said sometimes Veela release pheromones? Is that why…?"

He chuckled, the sound of it rolling through her back. "No, that's not what I mean. Face it little Hermione, you're attracted to me."

"I don't know what you mean," She said as haughtily as one could while blushing scarlet.

"No? Mm," He leaned toward her neck and traced her sides with his hands. Hermione took a deep breath as her sex tightened and throbbed in need. "I've only used pheromones around you a few times, and yet you react like this?"

She remembered the embarrassing breakfast when she had nearly jumped into his lap to snog him. "Maybe it's _because_ of the pheromones."

"Maybe it's because you are attracted to me," He whispered into her ear.

Gods, she wanted him to kiss her then. Her whole body was aching once more, desperate for his touch. "Maybe it's because you want _me_ ," She answered, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.

"Mmm, of course I want you. I want to kiss every inch of your body. I want to nibble on your thighs. I want to sink my tongue in your dripping slit and feel you writhe against me."

She made a needy sound and turned around in his hold while he spoke. Her lips silenced his words and he pulled her into his lap again. This time, however, there were only a few silky layers between them and Draco shuddered in sensation. He gripped her hips and rocked her against him, drinking her little whimpers and sighs and making his own when she wrapped her fingers into his hair and her nails scratched his scalp. She was trembling and her beautiful sounds were becoming more desperate. Unable to withstand her body, Draco tipped them carefully until she was laying on her back with her legs still around him. Shuddering at the sensation, Draco couldn't help but to start thrusting against her.

He needed to stop.

He _really_ needed to stop.

She gripped his back and held him closer. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she used the leverage to thrust up against him uncertainly. Her short nails digging into his skin made gooseflesh rise everywhere.

She bit his lip roughly and ground her hips against him. She had stopped thinking.

Then her head flew back and she called his name when she went over her peak and Draco instinctively bit her neck in the same spot as before when his own orgasm washed over him.

A heartbeat passed and, still panting and shaking slightly, he brushed a thumb over her cheekbone. "Was that ok? I should have-" She cut him off with her lips. She devoured his own groan and dug her hands roughly into his hair.

She was still grinding against him.

Still aroused.

Still wanting.

He did the only thing he could think of, he slid his thumb into the leg hole of her shorts and underwear and circled her clit with it. She cried out and threw her head back again, grinding harder into his thumb and he could feel through the bond that she was so close but couldn't reach a second peak. While kissing and biting down her now exposed throat, he slid his digit into her dripping passage, nearly dying when she clamped down and her hips instinctively thrust against it. He thought he could die happy now, as her inner muscles gripped and milked his thumb. He thrust once with the blessed thumb, memorizing the sensation and watching her face. He gently withdrew the digit and waited for her to come back to reality so he could apologize for overstepping his boundaries.

"I've never… had such a strong orgasm," Hermione said after a moment, her voice hoarse and still out of breath. "Can we do that again?" She looked at him and then blushed, "I mean like… another time."  
"Are you still aroused?" He asked tenderly, as he dipped his head and kissed the exposed skin of her chest. Her body tensed and he could feel her fingers digging into his shoulders. "Mmm, I see you are, little Hermione." He nipped gently at her nipple through her shirt and she whimpered. "Was it not enough for you?"  
"I'm not sure," She answered, her voice unsteady.  
He moved lower and nuzzled her stomach. He could smell her juices and the Veela convinced him to get closer to the juncture of her thighs. He took her hips tilting toward his face as permission and pressed a kiss to her clit through her clothes. "You smell so delicious, Hermione," He groaned against her.  
She tried not to be turned on by the feeling of his voice vibrating on her throbbing sex, or by the fact that he was so obviously interested in tasting her. But she failed. With her heart in her throat, she took a step she was suddenly certain she wouldn't regret. She vanished her clothes.

He lifted his head and looked up at her, his eyes glowing more brightly than they had been before, and yet dark with desire. He took a moment to examine her nude body and she struggled not to cover herself. He lifted one hand and cupped her face. When she met his gaze, he said, "You are utterly beautiful, Hermione."

She bit her lip and felt a blush take over her face. She loved him then, for his control, for his care of her, for… everything. "It's not… too much for you?" She asked, shyly.

"I can handle it," He answered, more confidently than he felt, tracing down her body with his fingertips. First, he followed the line from her cheek to her shoulder and down her arms on both sides. From her fingertips, he learned the smooth texture of her forearms and then took his time tracing the outline of her ribs along her sides. He was amazed to find that the texture was different. He gently cupped her breasts and looked to her face for permission before stroking a thumb across perky nipples.

Hermione gasped at the sensation when a tingle connected her nipples to her clitoris. She wanted to rub her legs together to relieve the ache his gentle exploration was causing, but his hips were between her knees. She found herself still squeezing his hips with her knees as he continued.

Draco watched as her eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment and wondered what she would do if he… well, there was no reason to wonder. He kissed her lips, then down her throat, over her chest, and finally kissed up the hill of her breast to take one pebbled nipple into his mouth. Her knees squeezed him harder and her hips rocked. She whispered his name and Draco was fairly certain she was torturing him. Could it be called torture if she did it unintentionally? He nipped her nipple with his teeth in payback for arousing him so.

His stubble had been the worst part, until he started using his teeth, for Hermione. It was torture for her to let him explore her body when all she wanted was for him to mark her. The thought should have scared her, but it didn't, in the moment. When he followed an imaginary line down her stomach and kissed over her trimmed mound, she wanted nothing more in the world than for him to show her how he would use his mouth on her. "Draco, please," She finally whimpered, desperate.

He readjusted himself so that her legs were opened around his shoulders rather than his hips and made himself as comfortable as he could while having an erection made of iron in the way.

Her sweet smelling vulva had little drops of her juices caught in the short hairs. He kissed her thighs, remembering he had gone too fast the day before. Her hips tilted up and he gave in.

He used his lips, first. Kissing over the slit and tasting her. He glanced up and she was watching him, eager, uncertain, nervous. With their eyes still locked, he slid his tongue over the seal of her lips.

Hermione tried so hard not to cry out. She bit her lip. He did it again, this time pressing inward slightly and causing her folds to part more. The silky texture of his tongue against her sensitive inner lips finally forced her to close her eyes and moan.

Her hips tilted toward him and Draco could tease her no longer. He needed to know what she tasted like when she came. He needed to know how to make her reach her peak. He held her legs with his arms wrapped around her thighs and went exploring. He discovered quickly that she needed him to trace circles around her clit with the tip of his tongue and occasionally flick across it with the broad part.

She very quickly became a writhing moaning mess and couldn't find it in her pleasure-filled mind to care about it.

One of his hands unwrapped from her leg to thrust a finger inside of her and the other cupped her breast. She was so close but couldn't reach her peak without him. She cried out, "Oh Merlin, stop stop, please I want you to-" But she was cut off when he was suddenly kissing her and she tasted herself but couldn't care about it because he was rubbing his erection against her. She pulled his head back forcefully and said, "I'm ready. Please. Please Draco."

He searched her flushed face and through the bond before he nodded and kissed her once more. He had never loved her more than then. Before he could remove his pants, he felt a cool breeze on his bottom and saw a shy smile from Hermione.

He sat back and took his erection in his hand. "You're sure?" He asked.

She nodded and bit her lip. She was sure, but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous.

He remembered to tease the opening of her vagina to coat himself with her juices.

She had wanted to look at his penis before… well before she _experienced_ it. But _Oh now_ _that_ _is a different feeling_. And then he began to press inward and oh _that_ was a wholly new feeling. He was much _much_ thicker than his fingers. She half wanted to draw her hips away from him to get rid of this strange pressure and simultaneously wanted to push up toward him to feel what it was like to be connected with him in this way. It didn't quite hurt, but it was uncomfortable.

He pulled back out a little and pushed in again. She was so tight, it was almost painful. He looked at her face and she was biting her lip, looking uncomfortable. He kissed her. After a moment he felt her relax slowly as their tongues battled. He traced her jaw with one hand and followed the smooth skin to her nipple. When he pulled back to examine her expression, she licked her lower lip and drew it between her teeth with the _sexiest_ look in her eye. He thanked the gods for the saliva that took her pain for this. Working into her inch by tantalizing inch, he bit his own lip when her eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. It was then that he noticed how sharp his canine was. He had nearly bitten through his lip.

He concentrated on working himself in with as much patience as he could muster while experiencing heaven. She only felt a minimal amount of discomfort, thanks to the enzymes in his saliva and once he was finally seated fully within her, he looked up at her face to be sure she was alright. She felt... complete.

His mouth was open slightly as he was trying to process the emotions and sensations racing through his body and she reached a hand up to stroke her thumb across his lower lip. "Well, we aren't virgins anymore," Hermione quipped in a breathless whisper, unsure of how to deal with her own emotions yet.

"You're so beautiful," He whispered back before kissing her gently. His eyes shut in rapture and a bit of the sheet below her was torn when his hand tightened into a fist because she shifted her hips against him. Draco nearly lost his head. He kissed her harder, tangling his tongue with hers until she pulled him back by the hairs at the base of his neck. Her eyes flicked to his elongated canines and back to his eyes.

He gave in to the urge to thrust gently into her. Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped. "Alright?" He asked, his voice little more than a growl. He really didn't know how long she would need to adjust to him being inside of her.

"Yes I…" She shifted her hips and hissed air in through her teeth. "Draco can you… do that again…? It was so goo-" He stopped her words with a sharper thrust and her eyes fluttered shut. "Oh gods, yes," She whined. She felt a strong urge to mimic the motion to make him keep moving, but he started moving on his own before she could figure out how to do it. The Veela within him urged him into a slow rhythm at first. His hips moved more on instinct than instruction.

The silky skin of his chest where it pressed against her own contrasted so wonderfully with the hair on his thighs tickling her own thighs. She had never realized that sex would involve quite so many new sensations. She learned quickly that she could meet his thrusts halfway by moving her hips a certain way and every time she did so, Draco's eyes seemed to become less focused. She actually enjoyed the idea that she could tease him back.

Biting her lip, she trailed her hands up his arms, uncertain what else to do with them. He was hitting a spot deep within her which felt so good it almost hurt. With every thrust she found herself coming closer to completion.

He was growling with every thrust and his expression was so controlled and focused it nearly made her self conscious of what he was thinking. Until his hands, which had been gripping her hips, slid up her body. The rough calluses left a tingling wake of excitement until one met a nipple and the other wrapped around the back of her neck. That made her forget everything she had been thinking before.

Draco groaned when her hips thrust harder against his own as she became more aroused. He touched the back of her neck, cradling it while he struggled to decide if he wanted to kiss her or experience her every facial expression more. He suddenly realized he was finally about to mark her and felt his eyes drawn to the spot on her neck he kept finding himself biting when he orgasmed. A small part of his mind was imagining marking her and he felt himself swell yet more in excitement once he paid that part of himself any attention.

She could feel him becoming harder inside of her. He thrust into her even harder and it was all just too much. Hermione threw her head back, her body tensed and her orgasm crashed over her at the same time as his lips met the base of her neck where it met her shoulder.

She felt a slight pressure and then he was groaning against her and thrusting into her harder. Her whole body tensed again as she orgasmed with him, a deeper and stronger one than she had felt before. It wasn't just her body which was pulsing with pleasure, when her eyes fluttered open to look at him, she saw they were both glowing golden. Her skin was glowing a softer gold than his, but it was unmistakable.

Draco had wings behind him for a second before they disappeared. He was looking at her, panting, with an expression first of pleasure and then of satisfaction once the wings disappeared. Then he leaned forward and kissed her lazily.

Hermione kissed him back, then pushed him off and out of her. "You're all sweaty, it's gross!" She giggled while she did this.

He chuckled good-naturedly and lay down next to her on his side with his hand holding his head up.


	20. Still a good morning

"Do you feel any different?" Hermione asked, trying to catch her breath. She tried subtly to cover herself with her arms without him noticing.

"Stronger. More… awake." He answered, laughing. "Amazing. Happy. A number of other adjectives come to mind. What about you? Not sore?"

She smiled, "A little. I think it'll go away. I'm not sure how I feel though. I feel… different?"

"Good or bad?" He asked, looking a bit concerned.

"I think good. Did you bite me? I don't really remember."

He smirked, "I did. Your magic will get stronger as the venom works through your body." A serious expression took over his features, "It's not like a poison or anything. But when we have children, they will carry the gene."

She covered her face and groaned, forgetting her nudity, "Don't talk about children right now. Later, let's talk about it, but right now I just want to bask in this… 'I'm not a sexless virgin anymore' feeling, ok?"

"What a pity, I was hoping to convince you to help me practice making some children a few more times today…" He answered, looking shamelessly at her exposed body.

Hermione felt her blood heat in response but she scoffed instead. "Let's talk for a little while, how about that? Maybe go to the restroom? Have breakfast? _Then_ maybe we can… do that again."

He sighed dramatically and said with a twinkle of humor in his eye, "Fine, I guess it can wait." Then when she laughed at his ridiculous behavior, he said, "Want to go first?"

She shook her head, unsure about her comfort levels if she would need to _walk_ in the nude in front of him. It was awkward enough to be laying around in the nude.

He nodded and stood to go to the restroom first. She definitely _tried_ not to watch the toned muscles of his backside as they flexed.

Sitting up, she grabbed her wand and brought their clothes back. She was stepping into her shorts when the door clicked open. Hermione's face exploded into a blush while she tried covering her bare chest with her hands and also yank up her shorts at the same time and ended up stumbling. His warm hands steadied her. When she looked up and met his gaze, she saw amusement, but also some confusion swirling in the depths. "I just… didn't want to be naked anymore." She answered his silent question.

He nodded and she shook off her embarrassment. She shouldn't feel embarrassed to be uncomfortable being naked in front of someone for the first time since her childhood. That was normal she was pretty sure.

He picked up his own boxers and sleeping pants, slipped into them, and lay back down on the bed with his arms behind his head. She put her shirt on while he did all this and nodded to herself, resolving that once she was used to being around him, she would feel as comfortable naked in front of him as he apparently was being naked in front of her.

While she was gone, Draco thought about the world as he knew it and everything that was changing. He still ought to let her know about his stupid father and mother switching his potion, but that could wait. Once he'd given it some thought, he'd realized it was only a betrayal to him, and not to her. She had been coming willingly, she'd just been confused because she thought he was gay. She would likely be outraged for him, but he could probably direct that energy elsewhere. He smirked. By the gods, she had been so much better than he'd ever dared dream. The future held so much promise of exploring the sexual part of themselves. The moment she had started moving her hips to meet his thrusts had driven him nearly insane with lust. He wondered if her passion was as strong as he'd previously sensed. These ruminations naturally led to him reliving their shared orgasms and the thought of her muscles milking him through his orgasm made a twitch of interest come from his crotch. He smirked again, amused with himself. She wasn't even in front of him and she could still arouse him.

The door clicked open and Hermione asked, "What are you smirking about?"

He glanced over at her, "Thinking about how wonderful you are, that's all."

She blushed. "Thanks, I guess." She sat down on the bed near him. "You're pretty alright yourself," She said quietly.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, snogging her soundly. The mint on her breath was a surprise and when he nipped her lip, he decided he really did quite enjoy the taste of spearmint. When she whimpered, he pulled her under him and vanished their clothes again.

"Draco!" She gasped, her lips swollen and her eyes outraged.

He slid a thumb across her nipple and watched the outrage fade. "I quite like your body, you know."

She huffed in irritation, "You can't just remove my clothes whenever you feel like, Draco!"

He kissed her again, the desire to make her happy again beating in his brain. When he pulled back, he said, "You don't like your body? You don't like how our skin slides against each other?" He moved his upper body across hers, watching as her eyelashes fluttered closed. "You don't like it when I touch you? Or when I kiss you?" He furthered as he peppered kisses across her face.

"That's not… that's not the point," She whimpered. His hand was cupping her breast again and circling the nipple with a thumb. He was unabashedly grinding his already straining erection into her upper thighs where he was straddling her legs. Gods but she was sexy.

"Then what is the point, little dove?"

She moaned when he kissed down her neck and grazed over the mark with the stubble on his upper lip. He traced her collarbone with his tongue while he waited. Once he had gotten from one side to the other and back again, he fisted her hair and made her look at him. He felt her arousal spike dramatically through the bond when he did this and tightened his grip, watching the fire in her eyes burn hotter. "What is the point little Hermione? I asked you a question."

Hermione's whole body was tensed in arousal. "Please Draco," She whimpered.

"Please what?" He asked.

"I can't."

He examined her face, understood he was probably pushing too fast, and then said, "Granger, we were supposed to be having a discussion. How could you try to seduce me like that?"

She laughed and smacked his arm. "You're a ponce Malfoy. Also, stop calling me Granger already, would you? Especially when you _just_ got done having… shagging… well… having intercourse with me…"

He smirked, finding her embarrassment adorable. "Having shagging intercourse? That's a strange thing to call sex."

She rolled her eyes, "And here I was thinking you might actually be sweet. Thanks for correcting the delusion."

He chuckled and then kissed her chastely.

He got off of her and covered her with the blanket so he could focus, his own nudity not something he cared about covering, and trying to ignore the still throbbing erection.

"What else do we want to discuss, then?"

She smiled and snuggled under the cover a bit more, not even thinking about the nudity of her husband, since the fluffy duvet covered most of her view of him anyway. "How did you end up in here? Did you release pheromones in your sleep? How much should we worry about the Ronald thing? When are we going to talk to Pansy? Have you finished Pride and Prejudice? What about-" he kissed her to interrupt her.

When he pulled back he stroked a hand across her cheek and examined her face for a moment, thinking about her questions. "I went to sleep in my own bed, so I don't know how I wound up in here. Pheromones are a possibility, though I don't believe I did. Ronald can rot, for all I care, you're mine now. That mark on your neck proves that you're mine."

His voice became more gravelly and commanding as he finished that and Hermione's whole body woke right back up and she tried rubbing her legs together to relieve the ache his tone caused. Why it made her aroused- and so soon after having an orgasm!- was an entirely unanswerable question, but even before she tried to think about it, he leaned forward and kissed the mark gently. The small fire which had heated her blood at his voice suddenly roared into a flame enough to burn her alive. How could she be this aroused? She bit her lip to stifle a moan. Regardless, he immediately caught on. He kissed it again, even going so far as to flick his tongue across the tingling flesh and Hermione grabbed his shoulders. "Draco, please, I can't…" Her heart racing, nipples hard, and body tingling with sudden desire.

"Is it a bit sensitive, dear?" He teased as he watched her face.

She blushed. "Maybe. We were supposed to be talking, Draco," She said, pouting.

 _By the gods, she pouts. I should get a medal for this_.

A loud crash from the sitting room caused them both to jump and Draco immediately moved to protect Hermione.

"Hermione! Malfoy!" Potter's voice rang out in a distressed shout. Draco relaxed minutely but stayed tense.

Hermione called out in a shaky voice, "Hold on Harry, we're… we're not dressed."

Draco could hear Harry in the other room muttering and sounding really quite upset. Hermione was already up and flicking her wand to return Draco's clothing to his person and her own as well. Then she was up and headed for the door. Draco reached her just in time to stop her. "Let me go first, Granger. I… I need to make sure you're safe."

She looked at him, worried, but nodded in understanding.

Draco opened the door. Hermione stayed behind him and Draco asked, "Potter, if it's really you, what happened on the train in 6th year before we came up to the school?"

"Oh for heaven's- fine, you petrified me and kicked me in the face like a common thug. There? See? I'm me. My wife is pregnant. She knew about you two once I told her after the party. She cried. Proof enough?"

Draco relaxed and gestured for Hermione to come around him. "What's wrong Harry? Are you alright? Is something happening?"

"You're bloody well right I'm not alright! I've been trying to find you all night! Ron's been poisoned! Again! That bloody idiot apparently took some test candy from his brother's desk and it's been driving him mad!"

"What? When? Is he ok?" Hermione asked, frightened. Draco ignored the possessive twinge at her concern for her supposed former friend.

"He's in the hospital!" Harry answered, starting to calm down a bit. He took a deep breath and said, "Fred thinks the candy was probably taken around a month ago, given the symptoms. Should we go? Do you want to go? I want to apologize for being so cross with him, at least." He fixed her with a worried frown.

Hermione blinked. She shook her head and answered, "I can't go. There will be a media circus about and Draco and I have plans on how to settle it all. If anyone sees me, the focus would be off of Ron immediately. I can't do that to him. Even after all he's done. He would hate me so much for stealing his spotlight, even if it _is_ a near death experience."

Harry looked at her for a long, unblinking, and uncomfortable moment. "I understand." He said. His eyes flicked to the mark on her neck and he flushed. "I think it would upset Malfoy, as well."

Draco growled, "I'm right here, Potter."

Harry grinned at Draco and said, "I know." The grin was forgotten in an instant, Harry's face turned serious, "Listen, do you want me to tell him anything? Well, if he's awake I mean."

Hermione thought for a moment, her eyes focused over Harry's shoulder. When her eyes met his again, she said, "Tell him I want to speak with him when he's better. When things settle down a little. I know this poison doesn't explain all of his behavior but, I'm willing to try once more to be friends… well, on more friendly terms, at least. Maybe now that I'm married he'll get it through his head that we aren't star crossed lovers after all…." She looked at Draco who was frowning at her.

"I could never be friendly with him." Draco said seriously.

Hermione looked at him, surprised, "I wouldn't expect you to."

Draco nodded.

Harry cleared his throat. "Alright, I need to get going."

"Just do me a favor and leave my heritage out of your conversations, would you Potter? Rita Skeeter will likely be looking for a juicy scoop, and nothing would be better than the tainted line of the Malfoys."

Harry nodded. He turned to go but hesitated at the door. "Malfoy," He looked at him over his shoulder, "We'll never be friends but... well congratulations. I'm glad you're not going to die."

Draco scoffed, "Thank you Potter."

With a nod, Harry left.

"How much of his behavior could be explained by the poison, do you think?" Hermione asked Draco.

"Not enough." Their eyes met and Draco smiled, "Ready for food yet?"

"If you can believe it, I am quite hungry."

* * *

They ate in the small dining alcove in quiet conversation. Their mail appeared with their food including several hastily written notes from Harry. Hermione didn't know why the letters hadn't been delivered, but the curiosity was violently shoved to the side and Hermione nearly choked when she saw the headline of the _Prophet_ :

 _The Golden Trio: Split Again!_

 _Ronald Weasley pays the worst price_

With a picture of Ron being stunned by a healer in the middle of what looked to be the waiting room of St. Mungo's.

She showed it to Draco. He looked at it with a deep frown and traded her the paper for a small scroll with elegant handwriting. It was an invitation to be interviewed by Witch Weekly that same afternoon.

"We can include our reactions to this news about Ron, too? I guess?" Hermione said.

"Yes well, I suppose that the question would come up." He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. "I suppose I ought to write back to her. Formal acceptance and all that rot. Shall we shower beforehand?"

Hermione smiled, "Sure. I suppose that would be alright."

He stood and offered her a hand, helped her up, and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Draco, I know what you're doing," She said with a quirked eyebrow.

He looked at her with the perfect picture of innocence on his face. "Why, I've no idea of what you're speaking, my dear."

She bit her lips to not smile at him, "We aren't showering together." She said, trying to sound stern.

He put his free hand over his heart and looked the very essence of sincere shocked disbelief. "Well, I never. How could you accuse me of such a-" The look dropped when he burst into laughter, "Alright alright you caught me."

She laughed at him, "You are _so_ weird."

"I know. While you're in the shower, I'll go mail this letter, and take my own shower. I'm arranging the interview to be at 3 this afternoon. They'll want pictures of us as a happy couple, too. Are you going to dress casually or formally?"

She thought briefly of everything in her closet, "Casually, I think. What about you? Do you even own anything casual?"

He chuckled, "Of course I do." He took her hand and kissed the back of it while he bowed toward her. Hermione blushed when the feel of his lips on her skin reminded her of his lips in… another area. He released her hand. "I shall leave you to it." He said formally, enjoying the blush on her cheeks and very aware of the pulse of arousal from her. _She is as passionate as I'd thought. And so easy to arouse…_

"Draco before you go, can I ask you a question?"

He smiled at her fondly, "Of course, my little overachiever. I live for your questions."

She smiled back and rolled her eyes. "Will we always be dependent on the other to achieve orgasm? Can I no longer… you know…" She whispered, "M-m-masturbate?"

His eyes glowed when a vision of her masturbating in the shower and calling his name rose in his mind, unbidden. _She's not the only one who's easy to arouse, calm down, you idiot._ "I believe we should be able to orgasm without each other, but with the bond I'll still know you're aroused," He traced her arm and rested his hand on her shoulder, tracing the tendon along her neck with his thumb. Her eyes watched his face, and she tried desperately not to be aroused by his tone and actions. "Most likely, I'll be unable to stop myself from…. Helping," He leaned into her and kissed her, unable to resist the urge. His hand tangled in her hair and while he tried to not take it any further, he still found himself pushing her into the wall behind her. He pulled himself back and whispered in her ear, "Just the thought, little Hermione, and here I am ready to have you again. What have we started?"

Her eyes were hazy with arousal. "Draco," She tried to tell him something but another moan interrupted her train of thought. He had leaned down in front of her and was biting gently at her nipple through her shirt while he dipped and lifted it. "Draco, oh gods, Draco please," She grabbed the back of his head by the hair and forced his head back. The look in his eyes was one of such intense desire, she had to squeeze her legs together. The mark on her neck throbbed in a way that made her want him to nibble on it once more. She traced his lower lip with her thumb to wipe off the small amount of saliva on it and he growled, his eyes glowing brightly.

She pulled him up and kissed him frantically, wrapping her leg around his hip. He vanished their clothes without even thinking about it. She was surprised to find him nude against her bare lips but the feeling of that silky erection quickly took precedence over any other emotion. His hands on her hips tried to lift her but Hermione had another idea. She took his hands by the wrists and turned him so he was against the wall instead. He smirked against her lips and Hermione felt a drop of arousal slip down her leg.

She smirked back and pressed his hands against the wall and stuck them there with a whispered spell. She traced along the lines of his arms and stepped back. The expression on Draco's face was amazing to Hermione. Confusion mixed with arousal, mixed with desperation. "You never give me a chance to explore you, Draco." She said, shyly, still stroking along his chest.

"Merlin, what have I done?" He groaned, closing his eyes and thumping his head on the wall behind him.

She smiled. "May I explore you?" She asked as her fingers stroked through the line of hair at his waist.

Draco nearly forgot to breathe. Then she traced a line near one of his muscles on his hip and he thrust forward involuntarily and gasped. "Anything, Hermione." He answered. "Anything you want."

She looked down at her hand to remember where it had caused that reaction and caught sight of his swollen erection instead. She stepped back a bit more and looked at it a bit closer. It was red and swollen. A drop of liquid was coming out of the top… or well... _tip_. Using one finger, she stroked along the top, tracing small indention. It was hot and she could feel it throbbing with his heartbeat. When she came to the tip, she touched the drop and realized it was a bit of semen.

"Oh gods Hermione," Draco groaned. "Get… you can see it better if you get on your knees." He was panting and when she looked at him he looked desperate. "I would love it if you would kiss it," He said.

She looked at him uncertainly but got on her knees. There was a particular delicious smell when she was closer to it. She licked her lips and looked up at his face. He bit his lip roughly. "Gods, Hermione. You're killing me," He groaned.

Another drop of arousal slipped down her leg. She could barely stand how tight and empty and _aching_ her center was. She focused on his penis again. When she touched the side once more, it jumped and she blinked and gasped in surprise.

When she had gasped, she smelled that delicious aroma again and wondered if it was coming from him. She wrapped her hand around him and he groaned again, his hips twitching forward. His penis slid through her hand slightly and she got the point of what felt good to him. "Is that too hard?" She asked when she made a tighter fist around him and moved it from tip to base.

In a shaky voice, he answered, "No, oh gods, no. Your hand is so soft…"

Then she moved her hand to the tip again and Draco growled. When she slid her hand back the second time, she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the tip, forgetting about the bead of liquid on the tip until she tasted it. It tasted amazing. Rather than leaning back as she had intended, she kissed the tip again, hoping for another taste. There wasn't one, so she absently swiped her tongue to catch the flavor again. Draco's desperate groan above her reminded her that she should probably try stroking his penis again. So she did, and she even tried to keep some form of a rhythm. "Granger please… let me have my hands," He groaned, his voice tight.

She whispered the spell to release him and he grasped her under her armpits, hoisted her up, and pushed her roughly against the wall. He readjusted his hands and flipped her around so she was facing the wall and leaning forward slightly. "Draco wha-" She tried to ask but then he was pushing into her and her voice could only be used to moan. This angle was entirely different and Hermione was fairly certain that he would split her in half, but she couldn't even find it in her to be anything other than glad for it. When his hand wrapped in her hair a mere second later, he leaned forward to whisper hotly in her ear "You're so wet, little Hermione. Did you like being in control?"

Her eyes rolled back and she arched her back in her orgasm before Draco was even halfway inside of her. He took a risk and shoved himself the rest of the way in, letting her shuddering walls pull him in further. He had no idea how he could hold off his orgasm while she squeezed him so tightly and rocked back against him. He slid one hand up her body to cup her breast and kept the other one tightly gripping her hip once he started to pump into her at the end of her orgasm. Hermione made a strangled moaning noise and then he felt her clamp on him again, even while she arched her back to invite him in deeper.

He was growling with every thrust now, and beads of sweat were gathering on his forehead. _One more one more one more_ he chanted in his head with each thrust, he needed to orgasm but he wanted her to give him one more sweet release before he came.

He pulled her hair slightly and she tipped her head back, her eyes half closed and mouth open. He kissed her lips over her shoulder and he felt her clench in the first wave of yet another orgasm. He felt his own orgasm tighten his bullocks and groaned against her mouth, twisting her away so he could bite the mark one more time.

Draco kissed her lips once more and then pressed his cheek against her shoulder and panted against her for a moment.

Hermione leaned forward and leaned her own forehead against the wall while she recovered from so many orgasms in such quick succession. She was sort of dizzy from them.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Draco asked while he pulled his softening member from her body.

She nodded, turned around, and slouched further against the wall. "Gods that was the best one yet…" She answered.

Draco checked her out unabashedly. "Good because I plan to ravish you at least once more today."

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes. "I suppose I could do that once more. But I really must shower Draco." She gestured at her abdomen, "I think I'm leaking… you know… your stuff."

He laughed heartily, "My semen? My ejaculate? My come? Is that what you mean by 'stuff'?"

She blushed, "Yes, and it's gross that it's leaking out of me even if-" She stopped talking, embarrassment making her stop short.

He lifted a brow at her. "'Even if' what?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Nevermind."

He looked at her for a long moment, considering pushing her. "Alright," He said to the detriment of his curiosity. "Go on, shower then. I'll get that letter on an owl."

A/N: I know I know I'm sorry. I got very sick this week and then (of course) so did everyone else!

I haven't had time to write! I'm planning on just one more chapter and then maybe an epilogue and then this story is over! Then I have another plot bunny rolling around in the ol noggin. Also keep an eye out for a one shot I'll be posting soon.


	21. The Finale

After throwing on a jumper and some more appropriate pants, Draco made the quick trip to and from the owlery without seeing anyone. This early on a Sunday meant that most of the student body was still asleep and the faculty was likely just waking up. The clicking of his shoes on the stone floor was the only noise he heard. He realized he was smiling for no reason and that made him chuckle to himself.

When he returned, he could hear Hermione shuffling about in her room and made a mental note to speak to her about moving into his room. He didn't want to push her, but he was fairly certain that even if she wanted to stay separate for a while longer that he would wind up waking up with her regardless. He shook his head and turned to his room. He stripped, turned on the shower, and looked at himself in the mirror for a moment. The color had returned to his cheeks and even the muscle tone on his chest had returned to normal. Hermione had probably never even noticed, but he had lost a bit of muscle over the last few days.

He shaved, wondering if Hermione's sensitive skin had been irritated by his morning scruff and smiled to himself. He felt so much more relaxed since marking her. So much more healthy. He sighed as he rinsed his razor, realizing it wasn't just relaxed, he was happy. Truly happy for the first time since…. Well ever, and there was only one witch to blame.

Hermione was wrestling with her hair after her shower and, even though she was frustrated, she felt a small smile on her face. She blushed when she realized she was smiling because she was thinking of Draco. She glanced at the bed behind her in the mirror and her blush deepened. Her first experience and subsequent experiences with her husband flashing through her mind. She cleared her throat and rolled her eyes at herself. She needed to be focusing on this interview with Pansy, not her sexual escapades with her… mate. _Husband sounds better… but mate does have a certain ring to it._

She summoned a hair pin and as soon as it hit her hand, she had to drop it. _What the hell? I didn't use too much magic, so why did that come so fast?_ Her palm was red and inflamed already from the pin. She quickly put it in her hair with a wince and looked around for something else to summon. "Accio pillow," She said, using the normal amount of force. The pillow came so fast that Hermione had to duck to avoid being hit. It slammed into the wall with a resounding _thump._ "Umm…. Draco?" She called as she opened the door. The sitting room was empty. She bit her lip and decided she would knock on his door.

The door swung open at her knock and she could hear the shower still running. Hermione bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

"Hermione," Draco called from behind the cracked door to his bathroom. "Is that you?"

"Yes," She squeaked. "Sorry I just… I didn't realize the door was partly open when I knocked."

Inside the shower stall, Draco rolled his eyes, grinning. "You're so shy, it's absolutely adorable. Sit down on the bed, talk to me. It's fine."

She bit her lip again, sitting on the edge of the bed next to the clothes he had laid out without noticing them.

"What did you want to ask?" Draco asked as he rinsed his shoulder.

"I uh… how strong is my magic supposed to get? Do you know?"

"Hm. I think it varies from person to person. Have you experimented? It might not have started yet."

"Yes well, I … I hurt my hand summoning a hair pin."

The shower turned off and Draco opened the door with a burst of wonderful smelling steam. He was still shining with water all over but he had wrapped a towel around his waist. He was frowning in concern as soon as she saw his face. "Is your hand alright?" He asked, not even thinking about his state of undress.

Hermione tried to convince her brain to work. All that smooth skin… "It's fine," She answered softly. She held it out to him and he examined it.

"It might bruise. I have a cream to heal it if you'd like?"

Hermione blinked. "Uh I suppose." It was really hard to concentrate when he was covered in water and his hair was all wet and slicked back and…. She cleared her throat.

Draco smirked at her and his expression changed to a more flirtatious one. "You alright Hermione?" He purred. "You're looking a little… dazed."

Hermione laughed nervously, "I'm fine. Don't try that again. We don't have the time right now. Later."

Smirking, Draco stood straight again and wordlessly and wandlessly summoned a cream. "I shall hold that to be a promise, my lady," He said softly as he smoothed the cool cream onto her palm.

"Is your magic back to normal?" Hermione asked, trying to cover both her nerves and her sudden interest in what was under the towel.

He nodded. "I believe so. I should begin to get stronger than I was before, soon. It can take up to a week, I think, but I don't really know how credible the information is. Yours feels stronger though. I could feel you when you came in the room." He vanished the cream back to wherever it belonged.

" _Feel_ me? What do you mean? Like through the bond?"

He turned and grabbed a second towel off the rack next to the door to the bathroom. He began drying his upper body, as he said, "Sort of. But it rather felt like it may have been just your magical core. It felt like a pressure on my awareness, unlike the bond. I don't know how else to describe it." He reached for the edge of his towel and began to unhook it.

Hermione stood abruptly, "I uh, I guess I should leave you to get dressed. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

Draco frowned and reached for her. He gently grabbed her arm and said, "Hey, you're not disturbing me. Does it make you nervous to be around me?"

"Well, it's I uh… I'm nervous when you're naked!" She sputtered and then blurted.

"Hermione," He said softly. "I understand." She looked into his eyes sharply, expecting a 'but…' and an instruction for her to just get over it. Instead, she found a quiet patience in his eyes, and simple acceptance. "Will you be in the sitting room?"

She nodded stiffly and he let go of her arm after rubbing it gently with his thumb. She felt herself relaxing, relief flooding her, and before she turned, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I'm glad you're understanding," Hermione said. Then she left the room.

Draco dressed quicker than normal. It was much easier to wear a t-shirt and denim trousers- wait _jeans_ \- than his usual attire. He combed his hair quickly and exited the room.

Hermione was staring at the fire, apparently in deep thought. She looked beautiful in her burnt orange turtleneck shirt and jeans of her own. Her hair was loose about her shoulders and Draco sighed, his heart full. Hermione turned at his sigh and smiled. She patted the seat next to her and summoned a blanket when he sat.

"You look good in Muggle clothes," Hermione blurted when he sat.

Draco smirked, "Thank you." He ran a thumb across her cheek and said, "You're blushing again."

Hermione's blush deepened and she said, "Anyway, should we plan how to answer questions?"

The next few hours were spent in conversation and preparation for the interview to come. They had their lunch in the little alcove once more and Draco finally found the courage to ask her, "Will you move your things into my room soon?"

"Oh, yes well I suppose I should. Since one of us is unable to sleep alone now." She answered with a sassy expression.

They laughed together and started making plans for how to move everything and if they could keep Crookshanks in what was her current room and what they might do with him if the headmistress declined to allow them to keep the extended rooms.

* * *

The time for the interview finally came. Hermione and Draco left to meet Pansy at Hogsmeade. The rain had finally stopped and, although it was cold, the sun was shining across the grounds. They saw several students walking around the Black Lake and Hagrid shouted a jolly greeting when they crossed paths with him.

They entered the Hogs Head and after asking, found that Pansy had booked a room for their interview to happen in.

Draco knocked and Pansy opened the door. "Draco! Oh you look so wonderful! And Hermione! Come in come in, let's get going alright?" She ushered them inside where a witch and a wizard were already inside. Gesturing to the witch Pansy said, "This is the reporter, you remember Tracey don't you? And the photographer, Colin?" She gestured to the wizard.

"Of course, we do," Hermione answered with a wave to both that only Colin returned.

"I'll be here, but I don't do stories anymore, much as I miss it. Tracey will be asking the questions and doing the write up for this evening's edition." _And I'll be here to watch your back,_ Pansy's expression seemed to convey to Draco. Draco nodded in acknowledgement.

They were ushered to sit at a small table next to the fire. Colin was all business, helping them pose for pictures, making them hold hands, and changing lighting with his wand. His overeager demeanor from school focused into making sure his pictures came out right.

Tracey waited until Colin had quite a number of pictures of Draco and Hermione in ordinary poses and then she cleared her throat. "Ready to start?"

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Alright then, let's start with the question on everyone's tongues. How did the two of you begin dating?"

Draco answered, "We began seeing each other in college." _There. True enough._

Recognizing the opportunity to change the subject- as they had discussed in their afternoon chat- Hermione added, "Yes, Draco really helped me to deal with the stresses of a particular reporter who works for the Prophet."

"You mean Rita Skeeter?" Tracey asked with her eyebrow raised.

"I'm not trying to cause trouble in the least. But it does seem to be obvious that Miss Skeeter really has a problem with me."

Pansy spoke up, "Off the record, is that would you chose to speak to us instead of the Prophet?"

"Off the record, yes." Draco answered.

" _Off the record_ , there is literally nothing I can say that the Prophet won't twist." Hermione added. She looked at Draco with a small smile and Colin snapped another picture. Hermione tried not to be irritated by it.

Tracey said, "Alright let's get back on topic then, what are your marriage plans? Will you still hold a formal wedding or leave it at an elopement? Draco, do your parents approve of Hermione and Hermione, the same question but of Draco?"

Hermione laughed nervously, "That's a lot of questions. We didn't elope, exactly. We just decided… there was no reason to wait once Draco proposed."

"Right, and neither of us have the time to do a big formal wedding right now so," Draco shrugged. "It's not a big deal to us."

"But what of the rest of Wizarding Britain? Don't you wonder what they must be thinking of your elopement?" Tracey asked, obviously flabbergasted by the idea someone wouldn't care what is expected of them.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter to us, truly. The worst thing someone could say is that I'm pregnant, and while that would be wonderful, I am not. The proof of that will only come in a few months when I don't start growing a belly." Draco's hand clenched under the table when she said this. He fought the twinge of possessiveness and disappointment he felt when he realized Hermione wouldn't be pregnant for a while.

"But the Golden girl being married is certainly big news!"

"Why? Why is it news?" Hermione was growing frustrated with the conversation. "I'm a grown woman who is making a decision about my personal life. It's not newsworthy."

"So you don't like the fame that comes with being part of the Golden Trio? Is that why you've split it up?"

Hermione made a disgusted face, "I haven't 'split' up anything."

"All evidence points to the contrary. You and Mr. Weasley hardly speak, yet you and the esteemed Mr. Potter work together. Mr. Weasley is even in the hospital and you haven't gone to see him. How would you explain that?"

"I think you're taking this too far, Tracey." Draco interrupted.

"Too far? You both wanted to clear the air didn't you? This is part of the process, as unpleasant as it is. Hermione has been refusing interviews for years. There's a lot of theories about her motivations you know." Tracey answered in a snide manner. Pansy's perfectly manicured eyebrow raised, a small smirk appeared and disappeared just as quickly on her face. Tracey didn't see the expression, but Hermione did. She wondered what was happening behind Pansy's facade.

"I think I'll try to explain." Hermione said with a frown. "I see the point Tracey is trying to bring up. Ronald and I do speak. But not much, as you've mentioned. He's never been able to come back to being my friend after our failed relationship. It's really that simple. Some people just can't do it. With his latest health scare, I am of course worried about him, but I had to avoid going to see him. The media would have made a huge scandal out of it, and it would have only made Ronald upset. It's not easy to have a normal friendship or even life when people watch your every move and people are paid to report on your daily life."

"Does that mean you blame the press for the strain on your relationship with Mr. Weasley?"

"No. And had you actually listened to what I said rather than trying to make a scandal, you might have heard that." Hermione answered, her frustration mounting.

Draco took her hand and their eyes met. Hermione felt his calm and to her astonishment, calmed down a bit. The camera flashed and Draco rolled his eyes at her. Hermione grinned and felt more at ease. "The press coverage did not make my relationship with Ron fail. He and I were incompatible. Also you'll notice that I'm in a relationship, with someone right in front of you, so perhaps we might focus on my current relationship?" Hermione said as she turned to Tracey again.

Pansy's eyebrow lifted again and she covered a smirk and perhaps a laugh behind a pretend cough.

Tracey blushed but looked undeterred. "Would you like to make a comment on Mr. Weasley's health before we move on?"

"Mr. Weasley," Draco said, sounding a bit annoyed at Tracey's apparent inability to let go of an issue, "Is going to be fine as we understand it. Hermione will pay him a visit when the two of them agree to meet and I think that's all the public needs to know on the matter."

Hermione snickered. She happened to glance at Pansy, who was also smirking. Pansy finally spoke up, "Do move on, Tracey. Trust me, you don't want Draco to tell you off, and Hermione's worse."

Tracey frowned at her editor in chief and looked down at her notes again. "You've married into one of the richest families in Britain, Hermione. Will you continue to work, even after having access to all the Malfoy assets?"

Draco growled at this implication and Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I didn't _try_ to marry into the Malfoy family. I fell in love with a man whose family _happens_ to be rich. I don't appreciate the implication of the question. I've worked for years to get to where I am now and Draco has never once supported me financially for any reason." Draco tried valiantly to focus on the interview and not on the possibility that Hermione had just declared to the world that she loved him.

Tracey's eyes flickered, almost as though she might feel a teensy bit of remorse. "So the upcoming announcement from the Malfoy's in which they will be pledging a large donation to start a muggleborn integration initiative is not financial support?" Hermione paled and Draco forgot his excitement at the prospect of having her heart.

Pansy stood abruptly. "Tracey that is not an appropriate question and it is not to be used in your story!" She said a bit too loud.

"What? Why not? She can't just be sanctimonious-"

" _Sanctimonious?!"_ Hermione screeched. "I didn't even know they were going to do that!"

"This interview is over." Draco said in a tone of finality. The women in the room, who had been about to start verbally attacking each other stopped and stared at him. "This has been a disaster from the start. Tracey has been far too invested in making our marriage a scandal because none of the press knew about it beforehand. She has been _overtly_ attempting to get Hermione to react since her second question. What is it Pansy? Did you want to make this a huge scandal to sell more papers or something?"

"No, I didn't." Pansy answered calmly.

"And you Tracey?"

She sighed dramatically. "Of course I didn't. But you have to see that this whole thing looks suspicious as all get out. No one knew you're dating? No leaks? No pictures of you two having dinner together? The only times we have seen you two together was those studying pictures."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So because someone actually kept a secret from the press, it automatically has to be dramatic?"

Tracey shrugged and looked at Pansy.

Pansy said, "It's reporting 101. A scoop is never enough. Bring in the heavy equipment because there's always more beneath the surface."

Draco frowned and gave Pansy a meaningful look. Pansy gave a nearly imperceptible nod. "Tracey, how much more do you need? They're married. They courted in secret. So what?"

Hermione slumped back into her chair, her adrenaline spike and subsequent crash making her feel tired. "I really don't know anything about the Malfoys donating. Draco is it true?"

He sat next to her and nodded. "Father believed it to be a quite worthy cause and mother is quite looking forward to being able to help. I was going to tell you yesterday, but… things came up." He shrugged.

"My questions?"

He nodded again and brushed a curl off her forehead.

"Let's finish up, shall we?" Pansy said. Draco glared at her. Pansy shrugged nonchalantly. "Tracey if you say one more inflammatory question I will take all the notes and print the article under my own name. That's your only warning."

Tracey gave Pansy a dirty look and then turned back to her notes. "Fine. Then I only have one more question that needs answering. Someone snapped a photograph of an altercation between Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy here." Draco tensed and Tracey's eyes sharpened and an expression of calculating interest overcame her features. "Now, the altercation is understandable, given your explanation of R-Mr. Weasley's behavior after your relationship ended." Hermione did not miss the stumble and marked it for later examination. "What _I_ would like to know is: Why is Mr. Malfoy's skin-"

"Oh, Tracey not this again." Pansy broke in suddenly.

"No, I really must-"

"No you mustn't! That picture has so obviously been doctored that no reputable magazine will print it!"

"But Rita-"

"Rita is the one who _arranged_ that confrontation you brainless twit! How the hell else would _she_ be the only one to report about it _and_ have a photographer in place to catch the expected brawl?"

Hermione and Draco's eyes met in astonishment. "Rita Skeeter made Weasley insult you for a _story_?"

"She is _such_ a bitch."

Draco's eyebrow lifted. "Revenge?"

Hermione's lips thinned and she nodded, "Revenge."

Meanwhile Pansy was listening to Tracey attempt to explain her theory that Draco was infected with some vampire disease and had Hermione under his charm to be his food for the next however-long-she-would-survive. Pansy finally got too frustrated and interrupted, "Stop. You're fired."

" _Fired?!_ " Tracey screeched. "You can't fire me for this!"

"I can and I am. Give me your notes. You will be mailed your belongings tomorrow and you are now under the nondisclosure agreement you signed when you were hired. You may not speak of, nor write about, anything having to do with your tenure at Witch Weekly- including most especially this interview- for the next 5 years. If you do, you will be sued for no less than 25 million galleons."

"But I-"

"No. There is no argument. You've had repeated warnings about your damaging and frankly outlandish theories and this is the last straw. Now get out and go home."

Tracey stood and threw her notes at Pansy. She walked out of the room snarling profanities and filth and slammed the door. Colin looked at Pansy and said, "I guess I owe you a few galleons then."

Pansy smirked and nodded. She wrote something on a paper and then sent it off, probably letting the Witch Weekly staff know about Tracey being fired.

"You bet that you would fire her today?" Hermione asked.

Pansy scoffed. "There's a reason I had her come in to do the interview. She's been a thorn in my side for too long. Always throwing around her stupid theories and conspiracies. Colin, doll, could you get us some tea while we finish up? I don't think we will need any more pictures. Thanks."

Colin nodded and put his camera down near the door. He walked out to order a tea service.

In his absence, Pansy said, "A source has told me Skeeter is trying to sell the picture because the Prophet won't run her story. They say it verges on slander to accuse Draco of being anything other than a human. She doesn't realize nor suspect the Veela trait."

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. And with you firing Tracey like that, you can discredit the whole story. Thanks Pansy."

She winked at Draco. "Not a problem handsome. Oh Hermione don't look at me like that. You should know I would never, and more importantly _he_ could never do anything with me."

Hermione reached out and took Draco's hand. "I know. But that doesn't stop it."

Draco kissed the back of her hand.

"Anyway, before I throw up. Anything else you want to have in the story? Of course we also need to discredit Tracey in the story, but, anything additional you'd like to add?"

Draco and Hermione spent a few moments seemingly reading each other's minds to Pansy.

"We are private people, Pansy." Hermione said at last. "We lead boring lives. It seems all scandalous that we got married and didn't tell anyone, but in the end, it's not really anything special. We did this interview because we want to be left alone."

Pansy nodded and the door opened with Colin carrying a tea tray.

They sat down to tea and chatted more amicably about what they had all been doing since last seeing one another.

* * *

On the walk back to the castle, Draco finally broke the thoughtful silence in the chilly early evening air asked, "Fell in love with a Malfoy, eh?"

Hermione blushed scarlet and bit her lip. "It was… for the story?"

"Was it, Granger? Was it really?"

She risked a glance at him and looked away again. "I maybe might… you know fancy you a bit."

Draco smirked again. "Oh sure. Fancy me."

Hermione bit her lip. He didn't say anything more and she was thinking of whether she meant it when she had said that she loved him or not for the rest of the walk.

They walked to their rooms and Draco said he felt like playing his piano for a bit.

Hermione sat and stared at the book she had been reading while he played. Did she love him? How would one even know if they loved someone in her kind of situation? She knew that she _had_ to stay with him for the rest of their lives, and that she had chosen the situation but did that mean she loved him? She thought back over their whole twisted and strange relationship. From meeting him when they were 11 to the current melody that he was playing and realized suddenly that no one else in the world would be as perfect for her as him.

He paused in his playing and glanced at her with a small smile and Hermione realized that yes. She did love him.

She stood and sat next to him on the bench. "Can you teach me to play?" She asked softly.

His long fingers lifted off the keys and he placed them on her chin to kiss her softly. "Of course, my love. Put your fingers like this…"

When she led him to bed hours later, she took her time in showing him her feelings before she could say them. When he held her after their slow lovemaking, neither of them cared a whit for their shared sweat nor stickiness of skin.

After what felt like an age, and with her nerves shot with anxiety, his breathing evened out. Deciding to take the words for a test run, Hermione finally whispered into the dark, "I love you, you know." Hoping that she might not be so nervous when she told him tomorrow.

And to her surprise, he whispered back, "I know. I'll always love you, Hermione. Always."

A/N: Well that's it! I'm not saying with 100% certainty that there will be an epilogue but the chances are pretty good. I'm sorry for the delay. I could _not_ find the words to start the interview. I wound up having to ask my husband for help! Good thing, too, because most of the questions Tracey asked are from him!

Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and/or favorite-ing this story! I hope you liked it!


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